THE BRIDGE OF HEARTS

A Christian manifesto that offers one man’s interpretation of the Bible.

In his nonfiction work, real estate developer Dudley, who’s 70, tells readers that his aim is to convey what he’s learned from studying the Old and New Testaments for his entire adult life. That said, he reserves for himself no special sanctity or insight: “If I could tally my lifelong actions with complete and accurate data,” he confesses early on, “I’m afraid the bottom line would show that what I really wanted all along was total self-indulgence without any negative consequences.” He begins his book with a brief overview of his own life before widening the focus to encompass the broader human story from a Christian viewpoint, starting with the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. This allows him to introduce his idea of duality as a major theme, embodied in the seeds of two Adams—one being the kingdom of God and the other, the kingdom of man. Throughout, Dudley employs a vivid and highly readable prose style, which will be a great help to readers when some aspects of his theology become more complicated: “Our God-given role in this ministry is to respond to God’s outreach by putting our faith in his Son’s atoning sacrifice, receiving his implanted word, and then following God’s Son to return God’s love.” Sometimes, though, no amount of clarity can undo these tangles, as in lines such as “God is a Spirit, his nature is love, and his Spirit is the life in our Father’s heart as well as the life in his Son’s heart, so these three are one.” Such moments notwithstanding, the bulk of Dudley’s book will likely make for invigorating reading for fellow devout Christians.

A thought-provoking, if occasionally overcomplicated, personal take on theology.