It's almost second nature for Christians to call God Father. Jesus taught his followers as much, although for them it was apparently a surprising practice. The worshiping community of the Old Testament used fatherly images for understanding God's character and actions, but "Father" was not a common way for believers to address God.

In Knowing God the Father Through the Old Testament, Christopher Wright explores in depth the images that pervade the biblical narratives, psalms and prophetic texts of the Old Testament. God is acknowledged as tender yet terrifying, challenging to the nations and yet intimately personal, offering loving care, provision, discipline and forgiveness.

This is the God whom Jesus knew, and whom we can know, as Father. Such knowledge of God is far from merely devotional or doctrinal, but governs our worldview, personal and social ethics, and expectations of the future.

About the Author: Christopher J. Wright (Ph.D., Cambridge) was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His doctorate is in Old Testament ethics. He taught Old Testament in India for five years (1983-88) at Union Biblical Seminary, and then returned to the faculty of All Nations Christian College, a missionary training school in England, where he was principal from 1993-2001.

Wright is now the international director of the Langham Partnership International (known in the United States as John Stott Ministries), providing literature, scholarships and preaching training for pastors in Majority World churches and seminaries.

He has written several books including commentaries on Deuteronomy and Ezekiel, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God and Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament, and The Mission of God. An ordained Anglican, he serves on the staff of All Souls Church, Langham Place, London, England.

234 pages, Published: October 2007