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Decreation: The Last Things of All Creatures BY PAUL GRIFFITHS BAYLOR, 408 PAGES, $69.95 There is much of surprising beauty in Paul Griffiths's theological 'speculations' about last things: death, final [...]

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0025.2009.01575.x Byline: KATHRYN TANNER (1) Author Affiliation: (1)The Divinity School, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USAketanner@midway.uchicago.edu

This article discusses the Christian church's involvement with culture wars, or political conflicts regarding social and cultural relations. The author argues that churches foster culture wars, in that they influence the values and beliefs of a community, and maintains a progressive stance, in which toleration for others is practiced, is the best method for resolving conflict.

A biblical theology of justification suggests a more corporate conception of justification and a closer relationship between mercy and justice, based on Old Testament sources. Justification is interpreted as a continuation of the covenant. Christians should perform acts of justice mercifully and generously, giving people what they do not deserve. The Old Testament terminology of justice and righteousness suggests that human justice and righteousness should be modeled on the justice and righteousness of God. In addition, there is no opposition between justice and mercy.

The lasting value of the Bible can be explained as a popular text. Readers make texts popular because of their continuing relevance to life, their ability to be freshly reinterpreted, their value apart from personal identification, their ability to challenge previous expectations, their use of traditional values, and their possibility of variant readings. The Bible fulfills all these criteria, hence its continuing popularity.