The Love That Is God
by Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt
Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt teaches theology at Loyola University Maryland and serves as a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In 2020, Eerdmans published his attempt at a rare feat. It's a short book, about 150 pages, that explains Christian faith to people who aren't sure they believe, without talking down to them or burying them in footnotes. In 2023 it won the Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writing.
The organizing idea is right there in the title. The Christian claim is that God is love, not merely loving, and everything else follows from that. From that center Bauerschmidt explores God, creation, Jesus, the Spirit, the Church, the sacraments and eternal life. He draws on Scripture and on great writers, Christian and otherwise, and on his own experience. Each chapter closes with suggestions for further reading.
It suits seekers who are curious but hesitant, readers who want something brief and thoughtful, and catechists looking for a fresh way to frame the whole faith. It's short enough to read together over a few weeks of OCIA.
Key Takeaways
- Why “God is love” is Christianity's radical claim.
- The essentials of faith in about 150 pages.
- Suggestions for further reading after each chapter.
- An inviting tone for hesitant seekers.
It's a short, inviting book from a theologian and deacon, written for people curious about faith.
