Duke Divinity School Professor Norman Wirzba has written a new book about recovering the heart of Christianity by understanding faith as founded on the love of God and leading to a mission to train others in the ways of love.

The book, Way of Love: Recovering the Heart of Christianity, by the professor of theology, ecology, and agrarian studies will be published March 1 by HarperCollins Publishers.

In the book, Wirzba contends that Christianity has fallen off its rightful foundation and that God’s message of compassion and caring for others has been overshadowed by divisive political, cultural, and religious battles.

He asserts that faith only makes sense and can only be expressed in a healthy way if it is seen as based on love. Christian life is best understood as one long apprenticeship that trains people in the ways of love. The book uses testimonials, historical references, and Scripture to reveal how love allows us to move into the fullness of life. “When we do not love we lose God and we forfeit the hope of abundant, resurrection life,” Wirzba says.