In 2007, Antje Jackelen adopted the motto "God is greater" from the First Letter of John 3:18-20 for her consecration as the bishop of the Diocese of Lund. Today, as the Lutheran archbishop of Sweden, Jackelen ministers by the same, ever-expanding belief: Of all the suffering, divisiveness, and hostility in the modern world's social and political climate, God is greater. Of the human search for understanding and all the questions left unanswered, God is greater. And even of the misunderstandings--the many places where humans' understanding of God, religion, and spirituality have gone horribly wrong--God is greater. For Jackelen, the belief "God is greater" does not negate the human need to seek answers. Rather, it encourages us to seek answers that expand, instead of simplify, our own understanding. In this revised edition of her 2011 book, translated from the original Swedish, Jackelen explores an ambitious range of topics, from the interplay between religion and science to the role of faith in seemingly secular landscapes, without settling for easy answers. In a time of rising political tension, where trite answers are a dime a dozen, Jackelen proposes a path forward: If we believe that God is greater--greater than our differences, our conflicts, our best achievements, and our worst failures--then we open up incredible space for advancement. It's in this space that communities of varying beliefs and traditions can come together through both dialogue and action to find greater meaning and greater good.
Antje Jackelen is the Lutheran archbishop of Uppsala in Sweden. She was formerly the bishop of the Lund Diocese of the Church of Sweden in addition to an adjunct professor of systematic theology and religion and science at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. She studied theology in Bethel and Tubingen (Germany) and Uppsala (Sweden), and in 1999, she earned her PhD from Lund University in Sweden. Her publications include books and articles on theology and religion, published in German, English, and Swedish. She currently resides in Uppsala, Sweden.
"In this time of increasing secularization in America, I'm grateful for Jackel'n's book. It's an epistle from the future--a message of hope and clarity about what the church can be once we let go of what we thought we were." --Nadia Bolz-Weber, pastor and New York Times bestselling author of Shameless: A Sexual Revolution "In this insightful and challenging book, Jackel'n draws us into a deeper exploration of the relationship between science and religion. Too often a bright line has been drawn between the two, forcing the false choice of placing absolute faith exclusively in one or the other. Instead, Jackel'n invites us to consider another way--that science and religion are both ways of knowing--and gives the reader 'a space where rationality and spirituality can grow together.' God Is Greater gives us the language and framework to consider the 'both/and' in an 'either/or' world." --Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America "For both Christians and Muslims, God is greater than our most self-exalting thoughts and plans. Antje Jackel'n reminds us eloquently that this realization should makes us humble, caring, and grateful for God's grace." --Ted Peters, author of God--the World's Future and co-editor of the journal, Theology and Science
