This book is a lucid examination of the relation between faith and reason in light of the varied forms assumed by Christianity in the past as well as in the present. The backdrop for the examination is change--change in theology, church life, and society itself--and the purpose of the examination is to recall the Christian community to its true function as a unifying force in the world. In an effort to enlighten our future, Wiles shows how ""the concept of God as Spirit points toward a way of understanding God that does substantial justice both to the main insights of traditional faith and to the critical challenges of contemporary reflection."" Faith and the Mystery of God delineates an intimately personal view of Christian faith along with grounds for holding it. Thus it is intended to help people affirm their belief in God in the modern world--in the face of all odds. Maurice Wiles (1929-2005) was a Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University for 21 years, from 1970 to 1991. Known for his wide-ranging interests in contributions to the history of Christian doctrine, he was the author of The Making of Christian Doctrine and The Remaking of Christian Doctrine.