The Old Testament book of Ruth is understandably a firm favourite in the church for small group study and preaching: a heart-warming story of loyalty and love, a satisfying story of the journey from famine to fullness.

In the academy, the book has been a testing ground for a variety of hermeneutical approaches, where any and every interpretative lens has been applied.

However, the single lens missing is the one that is most beneficial for the church: the biblical theology lens.

While commentaries have adopted a biblical-theological approach of one form or another, there has not been a detailed treatment of the themes in Ruth from a biblical theology perspective.Lau and Goswell examine Ruth in its canonical context, including the wider Old Testament and the New Testament, and study selected themes including redemption, kingship, mission, kindness, wisdom, famine, and the hiddenness of God