The Nineveh Story: Prophetic Imagination, Empire and the Book of Jonah (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781919173702)

Nineveh was already ancient by Jonah's time. As one of the imperial capitals of the mighty Assyrian Empire, it dominated the Ancient Near East, and was the greatest city in the world.

In forty short chapters, The Nineveh Story traces the Bible's account of this important city from its origins through to its destruction in 612 BCE, and then onwards into the Christian history of the region, including the important voices of Iraqi Christians, in particular those from the modern province of Nineveh, the city now named Mosul.

The eighth century BCE was the time when many of the Biblical writing prophets emerged, including Jonah. It was also the era of Assyrian imperial dominance. Why does God raise up prophets in the shadow of Empire? How does the prophetic imagination withstand the power of Empire? Jonah, a small provincial prophet from the margins of Empire, is called to confront the leading city of his day. What can the Church learn from Jonah about prophethood, about power, resistance and standing up for truth? How should Christians respond to systemic injustice, prejudice and global inequalities? How can Christians recover their prophetic imagination?

The Nineveh Story is for anyone who cares about Christian witness in a postcolonial world. Its forty short chapters are designed to be read over a forty day period (such as Lent) mirroring Jonah's offer of forty days for Nineveh to reflect and repent. It follows McCullough's The Bethlehem Story in welcoming Middle Eastern perspectives into understanding the cultural context of Scripture. It will enrich you, challenge you and stir your faith.