This concisely written book deals with the challenges facing Catholics, and indeed all Christians, in this age of rapidly developing understanding of the cosmos as well as the shrinking of the earth into a global village with modern methods of communication. The author is well equipped to discuss these issues; he has an MA in Pastoral Ministry from Boston College, and has twenty-seven years of experience in ministry. For the past fifteen years he has been involved with spirituality and adult faith development programs in Victoria, Australia.

Readers of the book are asked to consider what is their image of God, since the new cosmology brings the realization that God is present everywhere in our universe, and is within all human beings in an especially marvelous way. The image of the omnipotent God “up there”, looking down in judgement, has become untenable. Mastering a new image that combines transcendence and immanence has become necessary. A contemporary world view is examined in light of what is now known about the story of life on this small planet and its place in the vast universe.

Part of the challenge becomes questioning the stories in scripture, and seeing what needs to be recognized as myth rather than as literal description, as all stories are part of the culture of the period within which they were written. The question is asked: how does this affect personal spirituality?

The author explains how redemption theology is no longer relevant, and shows how the traditional belief that God is present to everything that exists can lead us to a contemporary theology of love and the giving of life. This leads into a historical review of the gospels, of how,  when and by whom  they were written. Says Morwood, “The Gospels were written to express what the Christian communities came to believe about Jesus in the light of the resurrection rather than being biographies.”

Like other contemporary writers, Morwood emphasizes the total reality of the human Jesus, who did not see himself as the Son of God. This then leads to questions about the Trinity; this area is sensitively dealt with, as the author realizes that his viewpoint represents the breakdown of a long-held religious outlook. He elaborates on the vision of Jesus as the one who “offers us extraordinary fundamental insights into our relationship with God and with all of creation.”

The book ends with a chapter on leadership in a new millennium. The author calls for the relinquishing of outmoded attitudes such as claiming to hold exclusive religious truth. The Catholic Church could become a renewed leader in the world if it offered its message of salvation with the spirituality of Pentecost in a way that resonated with the rest of the world. Within the framework of the new cosmology there exists the way to become the good news for all peoples.