A Gracious and Compassionate God Mission, Salvation and Spirituality in the Book of Jonah

includes index and biblioraphy

1 The nations and mission in Jonah Universalism The nations Israel between universalism and mission A definition of mission in the Old Testament Mission in Jonah? Mission from Pentecost onward Evaluating contemporary approaches to mission Mission and the priority of the gospel 2 Conversion and spirituality in Jonah and in biblical theology 47 Conversion in biblical theology and in Jonah Abram`s faith Abram`s repentance Conversion elsewhere in the Old Testament Approaching conversion in Jonah Spirituality in biblical theology and in Jonah The possibility of a unified biblical spirituality Approaching spirituality in Jonah 3 Looking into Jonah 1 Meeting the main characters Initial identities and contrasts Identities clarified and remade The aftermath of the storm 4 Looking into Jonah 2 77 Yahweh prepares a fish 77 Jonah prays 81 Jonah is saved from drowning 89 5 Looking into Jonah 3 91 Introduction 91 Assyria in the eighth century BC 91 Nineveh in the eighth century BC 94 Jonah`s message 96 The response of the Ninevites 100 The limits of Nineveh`s repentance 103 The response of Nineveh`s king 105 Who was Nineveh`s king? 109 Nineveh`s repentance in context 111 How does God `relent`? 111 God`s justice and his relenting 113 6 Looking into Jonah 4 117 Jonah`s anger against Yahweh 118 The root of Jonah`s anger: God`s gracious character 119 The fruit of Jonah`s anger: life with God impossible 124 Yahweh`s first response to Jonah`s anger 125 Jonah`s anger over his discomfort 126 Yahweh`s second response to Jonah`s anger 130 Conclusion 133