This lengthy article is an attempt to outline a revised understanding of the story about the coming of the ‘kingdom of God’ that I think potentially constitutes a more accurate synopsis of New Testament teaching than traditional interpretations and may prove in the long run to provide a more appropriate narrative core for an emerging theology. However, please note that there are still gaps in the argument and that I have not included the necessary supporting material.

The perspective presented here is by no means novel: others have put forward similar reconstructions, most notably N.T. Wright. There is plenty of scope to discuss the exact form the story takes. My main concern is to make sure that we are telling the right sort of story. In any case, whatever the merits and demerits of this particular reconstruction, I think that a postmodern theology needs to start grappling more seriously with the narrative core of Christian faith and the manner in which we communicate it.