'The Way of Wisdom: Facing the issues of Life with the Wisdom of the Bible' by Patrick Whitworth (2013, HK Forwards Printing, 240 pages, available from Amazon for £9.99)

'The Way of Wisdom' stands out in Christian literature – not because Patrick Whitworth's writing is controversial, but because through it he sheds light on the lack of teaching currently available on this vital subject.

Whitworth has been Rector of All Saints Weston (Bath) for over 20 years, and for ten years was the rural dean of Bath. He is also canon of Bauchi diocese in Nigeria, a Prebend of Wells Cathedral and Chair of SOMA UK, an Anglican mission agency. He has written several books including the trilogy of 'Becoming Fully Human', 'Becoming a Spiritual Leader' and 'Becoming a Citizen of Heaven', as well as books about the challenges facing the Western Church ('The Word from the Throne', 'Prepare for Exile'). Many of these are used for study guides and courses.

Extensive Survey of Scripture

The Way of Wisdom works through less familiar portions of Scripture like Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs and Job, as well as the better-known territory of the Psalms and Proverbs. It also surveys the lives of individual Bible characters, drawing lessons from their examples.

A section is devoted to wise leadership, looking at the lives of David, Solomon, Joseph, Daniel, Esther and Nehemiah. Difficult questions about how wisdom works in times of suffering and apparent injustice are dealt with through the story of Job and the poor counsel provided him by his friends. Another delightful chapter is given to the connections between wisdom and love, particularly in the context of intimate love and the family, focusing on Song of Songs and Ruth. The author also devotes some space to a wider survey of Church history.

The Example of Jesus

Of course, no book on biblical wisdom would be complete without a study of the person of Jesus. Whitworth devotes the final 60 pages of 'The Way of Wisdom' to Jesus' life and teaching, discussing the wisdom found in the Parables and the Beatitudes, as well as Jesus' wise responses to characters like Nicodemus, Lazarus and the rich young ruler. Importantly, Whitworth demonstrates that Jesus' wisdom consisted in his understanding of his identity as God, his calling as Messiah and his role as suffering servant.

Though not always an easy read, grounding it as he does in real examples of fallible people and the perfect example of our loving Saviour, Whitworth brings an underappreciated and poorly understood topic down-to-earth. For study purposes, the book includes a 30-page study outline which applies the teaching with many searching questions.

Other Whitworth books available from via Amazon, and some from SPCK.