This work argues that it is better to use Christianity as good poetry than as bad science, and although the author sets out to deconstruct its doctrines, "my intention is positive; it is to craft from the Christian past a usable ethic for our own time".

This work argues that it is better to use Christianity as good poetry than as bad science, and although the author sets out to deconstruct its doctrines, "my intention is positive; it is to craft from the Christian past a usable ethic for our own time". The book is a rescue attempt, an argued case for salvaging the challenge of Jesus by revealing the essence of his teachings and showing why they remain revolutionary, humane and of massive spiritual importance.