Prayer, Story, Wisdom, and History. These are essential building blocks of the people of God. The nation of Israel tells its story of the rise of kings, not once but twice (Joshua-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles), and during this period they wrote Psalms and gathered together their wise sayings. Then, plunged into the darkness of exile, they had to discover again who God was and what kind of life he called them to live. In the same way, Christians read these texts today for what they share about a promised Messiah and how they explain what life with God looks like in all its complexity. Based on the best of recent scholarship, the Transforming Word series is designed for the reader who wants to go deeper and is looking for an up-to-date, go-to resource as they read and study.