Product Description
As Christians strategize over cultural engagement, cultural disengagement, and cultural warfare, we can easily miss a core problem: The trouble isn’t that we’re in the world—it’s that we’re too much like the world. The solution? To pursue, by God’s grace, the paradoxical character preached by Jesus in the Beatitudes. As he explores these foundations for kingdom living, Jonathan Landry Cruse shows how the surprising course of spiritual growth leads to rich blessing in Christ.
Paperback, 160 pages
Publication Date: September 2025
Endorsements
“Renews hope and encourages us all to live meaningful Christian lives, come what may, defined by biblical priorities—whoever we are, wherever we live, and whatever we do.”
—Alan Strange, President, Mid-America Reformed Seminary
“A gem of a book. . . . ‘A tonic for the spiritually debilitated,’ even for those who do not realize that they are debilitated. Take and read.”
—T. David Gordon, Author, Choose Better
“If you want a gospel-saturated guide through Christ’s famous blueprint for Christian character, rest assured you’ll find it in Cruse’s excellent expositions.”
—Harrison Perkins, Pastor, Oakland Hills Community Church, Farmington Hills, Michigan
“With wit, clarity, and depth, Jonathan Landry Cruse’s exposition provides a sure guide to the blessed life that Christ offers.”
—David Strain, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi
“What do [the Beatitudes] mean, and how do they relate to our lives today? Jonathan Landry Cruse has provided a concise and timely exposition.”
—Brandon Crowe, Professor of New Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary
“Jonathan Landry Cruse has given us an accessible, joyful, and delightful tour through a vital, if sometimes neglected, portion of our Lord’s teaching: the Beatitudes. This is an excellent resource for study groups, Christian education programs, and personal study of God’s Word.”
—R. Scott Clark, Professor of Church History and Historical Theology, Westminster Seminary California
“Reading this book will help you keep in step with the Savior as you learn to live on earth as those with one foot in heaven.”
—Ryan M. McGraw, Morton H. Smith Professor of Systematic Theology, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
“Paradox People does what the work of a good teacher should: It points us back to Scripture. . . . This refreshing and timely book is wonderful.”
—Zachary Purvis, Professor of Church History and Theology, Edinburgh Theological Seminary
Author
Jonathan Landry Cruse (MDiv, Westminster Seminary California) is the pastor of Community Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he lives with his wife and three children. He is the author of several books, including What Happens When We Worship and The Character of Christ.
