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The Kingdom of God: A Biblical Theology
What does the Bible say about God's Kingdom and what Kingdom living looks like?
In the last hundred and fifty years the concept of the kingdom of God has emerged as one of the most important topics in theology, New Testament studies, and the life of the church.
In The Kingdom of God, Nicholas Perrin explores this dominant biblical metaphor, one that is paradoxically the meta-center and the mystery in Jesus' proclamation. After survey interpretations by figures from Ritschl to N. T. Wright, Perrin examines questions such
What exactly is the kingdom of God?What do different Christian traditions mean when they talk about “the Kingdom”? How should we interpret Jesus’ teachings about the Kingdom?What does it mean for the people of God and what does it mean for how they live in the world?
Perrin contends that the kingdom is inaugurated in Jesus' earthly ministry, but its final development awaits later events in history. In between the times, however, the people of God are called to participate in the reign of God by living out the distinctly kingdom-ethic through hope, forgiveness, love, and prayer.
____________
Part of the Biblical Theology for Life series, this practical and robust book will help you ground your understanding of the Kingdom of God on the solid foundation of biblical exegesis and reflection.
In the last hundred and fifty years the concept of the kingdom of God has emerged as one of the most important topics in theology, New Testament studies, and the life of the church.
In The Kingdom of God, Nicholas Perrin explores this dominant biblical metaphor, one that is paradoxically the meta-center and the mystery in Jesus' proclamation. After survey interpretations by figures from Ritschl to N. T. Wright, Perrin examines questions such
What exactly is the kingdom of God?What do different Christian traditions mean when they talk about “the Kingdom”? How should we interpret Jesus’ teachings about the Kingdom?What does it mean for the people of God and what does it mean for how they live in the world?
Perrin contends that the kingdom is inaugurated in Jesus' earthly ministry, but its final development awaits later events in history. In between the times, however, the people of God are called to participate in the reign of God by living out the distinctly kingdom-ethic through hope, forgiveness, love, and prayer.
____________
Part of the Biblical Theology for Life series, this practical and robust book will help you ground your understanding of the Kingdom of God on the solid foundation of biblical exegesis and reflection.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 8, 2015
44 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Perrin
31 books4 followersNicholas Perrin (PhD, Marquette University) is Franklin S. Dyrness Professor of Biblical Studies at Wheaton College Graduate School in Wheaton, Illinois. His numerous books include Jesus the Temple, Thomas: The Other Gospel, and Lost in Transmission? What We Can Know about the Words of Jesus.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 15, 2023
This book sneaks up on you. At first, you will think Mr. Perrin is not coming at his subject head on, but more a coming in from the side. You will be gaining incredibly interesting information as you go, but it may be nearing the end, at least if you are like me, before you realize that he has really delivered on bringing out what precisely is the Kingdom of God. It’s not exactly like other books on the subject I’ve seen, but by the end that’s why it’s good.
He has a lively writing style. He’s a little heavy on pop culture. I mean he named several popular modern musicians that I couldn’t identify in a police lineup, but it’s not really a detriment to the book. He writes in a vein that is happily catching fire in biblical theology these days where the main themes of the Bible are held on to no matter the subject at hand. That’s a richer track to travel in my book.
The beginning is a bit clanky as he discusses scholarly background stuff, but he reaches cruising altitude by the second chapter and maintains it to the end. Only chapter 8 on the signs of the Kingdom had me scratching my head AND never quite putting it together. The fault, though, may be mine. Mostly you get nuggets dug out and laid before you.
My only slight criticism would be occasional exegesis that seemed a little overwrought. He did like sometimes an obscure linguistic choice that you wonder if hardly anyone else would agree and then make it key to interpreting the passage. I’m not saying he was wrong, but you might need more proof to really accept it. Overall, however, the work is provocative in a meaningful way.
This book with its scriptural index is a treasure trove where you go could go seeking specific insights; but more importantly, it really contributes something tangible to the often nebulous topic of the Kingdom of God.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
He has a lively writing style. He’s a little heavy on pop culture. I mean he named several popular modern musicians that I couldn’t identify in a police lineup, but it’s not really a detriment to the book. He writes in a vein that is happily catching fire in biblical theology these days where the main themes of the Bible are held on to no matter the subject at hand. That’s a richer track to travel in my book.
The beginning is a bit clanky as he discusses scholarly background stuff, but he reaches cruising altitude by the second chapter and maintains it to the end. Only chapter 8 on the signs of the Kingdom had me scratching my head AND never quite putting it together. The fault, though, may be mine. Mostly you get nuggets dug out and laid before you.
My only slight criticism would be occasional exegesis that seemed a little overwrought. He did like sometimes an obscure linguistic choice that you wonder if hardly anyone else would agree and then make it key to interpreting the passage. I’m not saying he was wrong, but you might need more proof to really accept it. Overall, however, the work is provocative in a meaningful way.
This book with its scriptural index is a treasure trove where you go could go seeking specific insights; but more importantly, it really contributes something tangible to the often nebulous topic of the Kingdom of God.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
November 12, 2021
(Read the full review on my blog SpoiledMilks, 12/15/20)
What is the kingdom of God? Who will be included? What does it encompass? When will it come? Is it already here? How do we know? Does it have any practical impact on our lives right now? Nicholas Perrin's new volume on the kingdom of God in the Biblical Theology for Life series aims to answer the "So what?" question. You've told me what the bible says. Now what do I do? The volumes are all structured in the same way.
1. Queuing the Questions
2. Arriving at Answers
3. Reflecting on Relevance
In Chapter 1 (Queuing the Questions), Perrin puts forth three popular models on where God's kingdom is. Is it (1) in our heart, (2) a social renewal, the church, or a new religion, or (3) eternal future bliss? Perrin wants us to ask something akin to this question instead: "What is the connection between the kingdom of our Father in heaven and what we are doing on earth?" (27). He intends to answer the following six questions in the next section, Arriving at Answers:
1. What is the kingdom? (chs 2-4)
2. Who is involved in initiating the kingdom? (chs 5-7)
3. When did the kingdom arrive? (chs 8-10)
4. Where does the kingdom extend? (chs 8-10)
5. Why do we have a kingdom? (ch 11)
6. How does the kingdom function? (ch 11)
In Reflecting on Relevance (ch 12), Perrin reminds us that we exist to worship God (238). The coming kingdom is a "re-creation of Edenic conditions leading to human flourishing" as we live in God's presence without sin, suffering, and death (238). The kingdom is both here and still coming. Christians are filled by the Spirit and are called to a variety of tasks. Three things Jesus did to indicate the kingdom had come was exorcism, healing, and proclamation. We do not propel God's kingdom nor move it forward. God does it, and it is his business. We resist the powers and sin. We obey Christ, even when mocked and persecuted. We do it even to the point of death.
This is a hefty book with many biblical references, but Perrin does a good job helping balance it out by providing good illustrations and by writing clearly.
Recommended?
This is an excellent book on the kingdom of God. This would be the first one I recommend if you are academically-oriented. If you don’t lean that way, I would point you toward Patrick Schreiner's The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross, then Sigurd Grindheim's Living in the Kingdom of God.
What is the kingdom of God? Who will be included? What does it encompass? When will it come? Is it already here? How do we know? Does it have any practical impact on our lives right now? Nicholas Perrin's new volume on the kingdom of God in the Biblical Theology for Life series aims to answer the "So what?" question. You've told me what the bible says. Now what do I do? The volumes are all structured in the same way.
1. Queuing the Questions
2. Arriving at Answers
3. Reflecting on Relevance
In Chapter 1 (Queuing the Questions), Perrin puts forth three popular models on where God's kingdom is. Is it (1) in our heart, (2) a social renewal, the church, or a new religion, or (3) eternal future bliss? Perrin wants us to ask something akin to this question instead: "What is the connection between the kingdom of our Father in heaven and what we are doing on earth?" (27). He intends to answer the following six questions in the next section, Arriving at Answers:
1. What is the kingdom? (chs 2-4)
2. Who is involved in initiating the kingdom? (chs 5-7)
3. When did the kingdom arrive? (chs 8-10)
4. Where does the kingdom extend? (chs 8-10)
5. Why do we have a kingdom? (ch 11)
6. How does the kingdom function? (ch 11)
In Reflecting on Relevance (ch 12), Perrin reminds us that we exist to worship God (238). The coming kingdom is a "re-creation of Edenic conditions leading to human flourishing" as we live in God's presence without sin, suffering, and death (238). The kingdom is both here and still coming. Christians are filled by the Spirit and are called to a variety of tasks. Three things Jesus did to indicate the kingdom had come was exorcism, healing, and proclamation. We do not propel God's kingdom nor move it forward. God does it, and it is his business. We resist the powers and sin. We obey Christ, even when mocked and persecuted. We do it even to the point of death.
This is a hefty book with many biblical references, but Perrin does a good job helping balance it out by providing good illustrations and by writing clearly.
Recommended?
This is an excellent book on the kingdom of God. This would be the first one I recommend if you are academically-oriented. If you don’t lean that way, I would point you toward Patrick Schreiner's The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross, then Sigurd Grindheim's Living in the Kingdom of God.
January 8, 2022
Maybe three and a half. It felt as if the author was stuck between complex theological argument and pop-level "I need a funny story" in the writing style. It just didn't work. The overall content was helpful, but this is a book written by an academic trying not to sound academic.
May 20, 2019
I would rate Perrin’s book 3 out of 5. The content he has is good, but I feel that this book as a Biblical theology suffers from a narrow focus on a few Biblical passages. It results in a truncated view of God’s kingdom. What Perrin does well is to draw out the continuity between the Old Testament background and Jesus. No-one will finish the book without knowing the themes of Return from Exile and New Creation. They will know Jesus is the Messiah-King, but not know much about becoming and living as God’s people if you are not born into it.
December 21, 2023
An enjoyable read, with a bit of humor, that explains the Kingdom of God in precise ways. I am pleased that “A Biblical Theology” was not simply a tagline but the actual standpoint of the book : focused on the Bible and the claims of Christ and scripture, rather than simply rehashing the history of the debates about the Kingdom of God.
As a textbook for a course, I think it will work nicely.
As a textbook for a course, I think it will work nicely.
March 24, 2021
Good look at the kingdom through a very specific lens of who Jesus in as revealed in his baptism.
June 15, 2022
Very basic introduction to biblical theology, sort of boring. The chapter about the Lord’s Prayer in Luke was the bright spot in a mostly vanilla book.
May 1, 2024
Really great book on the what, when and why of the Kingdom of God.
August 30, 2025
very stimulating read!
You will not agree with everything, but Perrin does a fantastic job at expanding my kingdom vision found in the entire Scripture story.
You will not agree with everything, but Perrin does a fantastic job at expanding my kingdom vision found in the entire Scripture story.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews