Short of Glory: A Biblical and Theological Exploration of the Fall
Some information on content and pre-orders
In May, which feels just around the corner, my latest book will release from Crossway. It’s called Short of Glory: A Biblical and Theological Exploration of the Fall. They created an amazing cover for the book, which is in the pic above this post.
The focus of Short of Glory is on unpacking Genesis 3 while keeping an eye on how that chapter impacts the larger storyline of Scripture.
A popular way to conceive of the Bible’s big picture is fourfold:
Creation —> Fall —> Redemption —> Consummation
Short of Glory is primarily about that second piece of the paradigm—the fall. But we can’t understand the fall apart from the other three pieces (Creation, Redemption, and Consummation), so they’re in view as well.
Not every chapter in Scripture needs a whole book devoted to it. But Genesis 3 is the kind of chapter that is so rich and so important that we, as Christian interpreters, should spend time thinking through its content. What happened in Genesis 3 impacted everything.
The title of the book—Short of Glory—is drawn from Romans 3:23, where Paul says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The subtitle—A Biblical and Theological Exploration of the Fall—emphasizes that this book is a work of biblical theology. My goal was to discern the echoes of Genesis 3 in Scripture’s storyline.
Genesis 3 contains themes like temptation, wisdom, sin, shame, hope, judgment, faith, reconciliation, and exile. Understanding more about these themes will help us read Scripture better, and it will strengthen our hearts as disciples of Jesus.
The 13-chapter layout of the book looks like this:
Chapter 1: Sacred Space
Chapter 2: Two Trees
Chapter 3: The God Who Walks
Chapter 4: That Ancient Serpent
Chapter 5: Taking and Eating
Chapter 6: A Broken Covenant
Chapter 7: Afraid and Ashamed
Chapter 8: Salvation through Judgment
Chapter 9: Multiplication and Division
Chapter 10: From Dust to Dust
Chapter 11: The Mother of All Living
Chapter 12: Garments from God
Chapter 13: East of Eden
Short of Glory releases in May, but pre-orders are possible right now. Pre-orders are important to publishers for a few reasons. First, pre-orders signal to a publisher that there’s growing interest in the book. Second, pre-orders tell retailers and book outlets that there’s interest in the book, and this helps them project how many copies to order from a publisher. Third, pre-orders cultivate broader consumer interest because book-buyers talk and share about what they’re going to read.
Your help with this is greatly appreciated. If Short of Glory sounds like the kind of book that interests you, then you can signal that interest to Crossway by pre-ordering it. Click here.
Another effective (and easy) way to support Short of Glory is by sharing this post on your social media sites so that others can know about its upcoming release. That’s this button:
The content of Genesis 3 is already intriguing to readers. There’s a talking serpent, two trees in the midst of a garden paradise, and a rebellion. Eyes are opened, fig leaves are sown, and trees become a place of hiding. The Lord pronounces consequences on the serpent and on the image bearers. Specifically, there is hope for a deliverer that is sown despite the Edenic tragedy. A serpent-crusher will come, and his victory will be accomplished through suffering.
In Short of Glory, readers will delve into the history and tragedy and hope within the storyline of Scripture, through the lens of Genesis 3.
I was very encouraged to receive these endorsements for the book:
“Short of Glory is an exceptional introduction to the way the events of Genesis 3 are woven through the biblical witness. Mitchell Chase’s theological acumen and exegetical sophistication are front and center as he carefully elucidates the far-reaching implications of sin and the even farther-reaching implications of God’s grace to his people. Highly recommended as an example of theology and exegesis in service of the good news.”
-Brandon D. Smith, Assistant Professor of Theology and New Testament, Cedarville University; Cofounder, Center for Baptist Renewal
“We often speak of living in a ‘fallen world.’ But what does that mean, precisely? In order to embrace the good news of the gospel, we first have to understand the problems that Jesus came to fix. In this penetrating reflection on Genesis 3, Mitchell Chase helps us see every aspect of life as, to quote Tolkien, ‘soaked with the sense of exile.’ Short of Glory will help us better appreciate how comprehensive the work of Christ is—and make us long for it to be completed.”
-Gavin Ortlund, Pastor, First Baptist Church of Ojai, California; author, Finding the Right Hills to Die On and Why God Makes Sense in a World That Doesn’t
“Understanding what went wrong is essential for understanding how it can be made right, and by whom. Mitchell Chase expertly guides readers not only through Genesis 3 but also through the reverberations of Genesis 3 in the rest of the Scriptures. The tentacles of the fall can be felt on every page of the Bible. Not paying attention to these themes might mean missing what the good news is all about.”
-Patrick Schreiner, Associate Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; author, The Visual Word and The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross
“We live in a world of turmoil, heartache, and evil. We know it shouldn’t be so, but we don’t always spend enough time reflecting on why it is. As this book helps us to stare at the greatest of all tragedies, two things start happening: we see the world in much sharper clarity, and we find ourselves drawn again and again to the hope of Christ.”
-Sam Allberry, pastor; author, 7 Myths about Singleness
“Mitchell Chase’s book is refreshing because he retrieves the covenant of works to explain why original sin must be traced back to Adam as our federal head. Plunging into the sorrow of Adam’s iniquity, Chase then lifts our heads to see the hope we have in Christ, our covenant surety. Unless we understand the tragedy of our fall in Adam, we will not rejoice at the triumph of our redemption in Christ, the second Adam. Here is a compelling exposition of our exile east of Eden.”
-Matthew Barrett, Associate Professor of Christian Theology, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Executive Editor, Credo Magazine; author, Simply Trinity
I hope you will find Short of Glory to be a blessing and an encouragement to your heart. Dear believer, we are short of glory—for now. But because of the greatness of Christ’s victory and the certainty of his covenant faithfulness, we will not be short of glory forever. We will have and become all that the Lord has designed for us.
You're right—that's a first-rate cover! Looking forward to the book...