Sabbath Gospel: A New Narrative of Time, Rest, and the Work of the Church
Seeing Sabbath as the Gospel’s Call to Resist, Reimagine, and Reclaim
The world’s relentless push for "more and better" reflects a value system that is individualistic and economically exploitative, leaving Christians and the church itself exhausted. Amid this weariness, Sabbath emerges as not merely a day of rest, but a powerful, countercultural invitation to push back.
In Sabbath Gospel, G. P. Wagenfuhr and Amy J. Erickson invite us to consider Sabbath as much more than a cessation from work. Sabbath is a grand exodus from tiring economic regimes and the empty promise of self-actualization. By expanding our vision of Sabbath beyond the Creation story, we vacate the idol of the world and take our place in the household of God, the church, where Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. In this robust biblical theology, scholars, theologians, and pastors find a fresh approach to Sabbath that moves us beyond empty practices and renews our language about the gospel.
What you'll find in Sabbath Gospel:
A transformative view of Sabbath as communal resistance against the exploitative value systems of the world
Interdisciplinary insights into the Biblical theology of Sabbath
A call to live out Sabbath anew in God’s reconciled community
Sabbath Gospel challenges readers to rethink Sabbath, moving beyond individualistic notions of rest. Sabbath is not just about stepping back from work for personal rejuvenation but about stepping into God’s household—a reconciled community where rest is shared, burdens are lifted, and the gospel is renewed in our lives. Reimagine your view of Sabbath with Sabbath Gospel.
Reviews
"G. P. Wagenfuhr and Amy J. Erickson reclaim the Sabbath as a creative force in God's redemptive story, revealing its transformative impact on our identity, our rhythms, and our calling. Theologically profound yet practically grounded, this work casts a compelling vision for individuals and communities striving to live with faithfulness and sustainability amid the hyperactive pace of contemporary life."
Alan Hirsch, founder of 100 Movements and 5Q Collective and author of several books on missional leadership and spirituality
"It is deeply ironic that a people who follow the Lord of the Sabbath, who offers the promise of rest, are so often exhausted. Part of the reason, as G. P. Wagenfuhr and Amy J. Erickson show, is that we have approached the Sabbath as yet another thing to do, another task to accomplish within structures that are often exploitative and unjust. Instead, they offer a fresh vision of Sabbath which calls us, not to stop work altogether, but to take up the right kinds of work. Here is the promise of true rest, not for frantic people on the go, but for hopeful people on the Way."
Ryan Tafilowski, assistant professor of theology at Denver Seminary and coauthor, with W. David Buschart, of Worth Doing: Fallenness, Finitude, and Work in the Real World
"This is not a book about one day of the week or retreating into personal rest. G. P. Wagenfuhr and Amy J. Erickson cast a richly biblical and theological vision of Christians living and ministering in God's time, in Sabbath time. They summon and guide the church not into stopping or withdrawing but into being ambassadors of God's rest in and to the world. Far from an individual spiritual practice, Sabbath is community life and mobilization."
W. David Buschart, professor of theology and historical studies emeritus at Denver Seminary and coauthor, with Ryan Tafilowski, of Worth Doing: Fallenness, Finitude, and Work in the Real World
"Most Christians know that the Sabbath is the one commandment of the Decalogue explicitly given for our immediate and obvious benefit. Why, then, do so many of us not 'keep Sabbath' (asking for a friend)? In their joint volume, G. P. Wagenfuhr and Amy J. Erickson answer this question and many more. Like the Sabbath journey they describe, this book is a peregrination, as Wagenfuhr and Erickson lead us on an exodus away from dream houses into full maturity and freedom. They worry that the result is 'wildly ambitious and woefully ineffective,' but I believe those fears are unfounded: readers who take this book seriously will learn an immense amount and live quite differently as a result."
Brent A. Strawn, D. Moody Smith Distinguished Professor of Old Testament and Professor of Law at Duke University
"Sabbath is one of those religiously connotative terms. To older generations, it evokes long days at church, strict rules of conduct, and dress-up clothes. To younger generations, it evokes memories of leisure, play, and chores, which bring an end to the weekend. But more than anything, it evokes longing. We're weary and busy. We want rest, deep rest. G. P. Wagenfuhr and Amy J. Erickson's Sabbath Gospel engages the topic with rare freshness and insight. Their book does not limit itself to exploring Sabbath as the last day of the week, or the first, as Christians tend to assume. It organizes the entire biblical story as an extended commentary on God's plan to give us rest—the rest of his kingdom rule, the rest of redemption, the rest of community, the rest of a restored Garden of Eden in which we live fully as members of God's household. It is a rest for people who live as exiles, no matter their rank, wealth, and power. I have read many books on the Sabbath. I have read none like this one. It sets a new trajectory for how we think and experience the Sabbath. It is theology at its best: compelling, persuasive, subversive, and livable."
Gerald L. Sittser, professor emeritus of theology at Whitworth University and author of Water from a Deep Well and Resilient Faith