Kevin B. McCruden, On the Way: Religious Experience and Common Life in the Gospels and Letters of Paul. Winona, MN: Anselm Academic (www.anselmacademic.org), 2020. Pages, 209. Paper, $19.95

Here is a valuable study that bridges the space between a historical-critical analysis of the gospels and Pauline writings and the quest for religious meaning and spirituality. McCruden, professor of religious studies at Gonzaga University, centers on the fundamental components of religious experience of the transcendent and the striving to form community. In Christian terms the experience of the transcendent—an experience that is transformative and leads to community—comes throughout the person and mission of Jesus Christ. This core belief is traced in an examination of the four gospels and Paul’s Key letters. The author’s goal is to present an introduction to these New Testament writings that will also meet the religious quest of contemporary students.