The Core of the Christian Faith by Dr. Michael Goheen - Faculty Book Review
from the Summer 2025 issue of The Forum Magazine
In The Core of the Christian Faith: Living the Gospel for the Sake of the World (Brazos Press, 2025), Dr. Michael Goheen, Professor of Missional Theology, presents a compelling vision of the church’s role in God’s redemptive mission.
Goheen organizes the book around four key themes: “The gospel of the kingdom, the Bible as the true story of the world, the church as the new humanity for the sake of the world, and the missionary encounter of God’s people with their culture.” (9). These themes form what he calls the “missional dynamic” essential for guiding the church into covenantal faithfulness.
The book unfolds in four sections. After grounding the gospel message in its biblical and theological context, Goheen dedicates five chapters to tracing the Bible’s overarching narrative. He connects its major themes-gospel, salvation, witness-to the church’s mission and witness today. He writes, “When we grasp that the salvation of the kingdom restores all of human life, we begin to see that our witness to God’s kingdom must be as wide as life itself!” (112).
The third section highlights the church’s mission through the vocations of God’s people. Goheen emphasizes the formative role of Scripture: “Scripture gives us not just the true story of the world; it also equips us with a “toolbox” that we need in order to live in that story.” (119). The final section addresses cultural challenges such as postmodernity, economic modernity, and consumerism. He urges Christians to engage culture thoughtfully, to “sympathetically understand the postmodern spirit at work among our neighbors-and among us!-and not react in knee-jerk fashion.” (210).
Goheen’s writing is concise, practical, and accessible. Aimed at a popular audience (xi), the book avoids technical jargon and presents concepts in a clear and engaging way. His use of relatable analogies and real-world examples speaks to readers across vocations and life stages. This clarity and breadth of application makes the book suitable for a wide range of readers, from high school and college students to pastors, ministry leaders, and small groups.
The Core of the Christian Faith stands out as a readable yet rich introduction to Scripture and missional theology. It invites readers to see the gospel not as an isolated message, but as the heartbeat of God’s restorative work in the world. With clarity and conviction, Goheen calls the church to live faithfully in light of this mission.
