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Learn how to engage with cultural issues in a deeply countercultural way. When we embrace the paradoxical character preached by Jesus in the Beatitudes, we experience rich and surprising blessing.

Endorsements

“Once again, Jonathan Landry Cruse has written a gem of a book, aptly entitled Paradox People, because Jesus’s followers live a lifelong paradox: They look poor but are rich; they appear forsaken but are loved by God; they seem to be overlooked, but their names are written in an everlasting book of life. What the late Philip E. Hughes said about the epistle to the Hebrews is also an apt description of this book: It is “a tonic for the spiritually debilitated,” even for those who do not realize that they are debilitated. Take and read.”

—T. David Gordon, Author, Choose Better

“The Beatitudes offer a vital roadmap for Christian living, one that has never been more needed than at the present time. The paradoxical virtues of Christ’s kingdom, to which the promise of blessedness is attached, are increasingly incomprehensible to a culture that loves power, prestige, personal success. With wit, clarity, and depth, Jonathan Landry Cruse’s exposition provides a sure guide to the blessed life that Christ offers. May God bless this book and make of it an instrument to quench the soul-thirst of his people.”

—David Strain, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi

“The Christian life is full of unexpected turns. The shape of the gospel—redemption through a crucified Savior—proves that blessing often lies in those unexpected and even paradoxical places. Jonathan Landry Cruse pulls on those paradoxes to show how the humble characteristics enjoined upon us in the Beatitudes are a surprisingly sure course to the blessed life. If you want a gospel-saturated guide through Christ’s famous blueprint for Christian character, rest assured you’ll find it in Cruse’s excellent expositions.”

—Harrison Perkins, Pastor, Oakland Hills Community Church, Farmington Hills, Michigan

“The Beatitudes are memorable and familiar, but what do they mean and how do they relate to our lives today? Jonathan Landry Cruse has provided a concise and timely exposition of Jesus’s teaching that addresses these crucial questions. Take and read about glorious gospel truths for all of us who need to be shaped more and more by the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.”

—Brandon Crowe, Professor of New Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary

“Jonathan Landry Cruse has given us an accessible, joyful, and delightful tour through a vital, if sometimes neglected, portion of our Lord’s teaching: the Beatitudes. This is an excellent resource for study groups, Christian education programs, and personal study of God’s Word.”

—R. Scott Clark, Professor of Church History and Historical Theology, Westminster Seminary California

“Returning to the Beatitudes is timely. While many Christians opt to run from the world, blend into it, or fight it directly, Cruse reminds us that the Beatitudes offer an alternative path. Christians are “paradox people” because kingdom life, values, hope, and the character of their King stand opposite the world’s expectations. Through the Spirit, God will transform the world—not through politics but through conforming people to Jesus Christ. Reading this book will help you keep in step with the Savior as you learn to live on earth as those with one foot in heaven.”

—Ryan M. McGraw, Morton H. Smith Professor of Systematic Theology, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

“Lively and engaging, faithful and clear, Jonathan Landry Cruse’s Paradox People does what the work of a good teacher should: It points us back to Scripture. We find how wonderful the Beatitudes truly are: a royal gift from the King of Kings, who wants his people to know, no matter what we face for Christ’s sake in this world—discomfort, persecution, even slaughter—that we possess the boundless love and favor of God, who triumphs through the cross. This refreshing and timely book is wonderful.”

—Zachary Purvis, Professor of Church History and Theology, Edinburgh Theological Seminary

 

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