Cuckoos in Our Nest
Truth and Lies about Being Human
by Iain Provan
Imprint: Cascade Books
Iain Provan was the Marshall Sheppard Professor of Biblical Studies at Regent College in Vancouver, Canada, from 1997 until 2022, when he retired and founded The Cuckoos Consultancy. He and his wife Lynette have four grown-up children, and numerous grandchildren. Iain was born and educated in the U.K., completing his final degree (PhD) at the University of Cambridge in 1987. His subsequent academic teaching career prior to emigrating to Canada took him to King’s College London, the University of Wales, and the University of Edinburgh. Iain has written numerous books, essays and articles. He is an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland; a Life Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge (since 1993); and the recipient of an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship in Germany (ongoing since 1996). He is also a qualified Provincial B Licence soccer coach (in British Columbia) and an ARA rowing coach (in the UK). His main hobby is fly-fishing. You can find out more about him – and also about the Cuckoos Consultancy – at his website, iainprovan.ca.
“The most challenging question facing the church today is not ‘Does God exist?’ or ‘Who do you say Jesus is?’ but rather ‘Who are you and what does it mean to be human?’ Iain Provan’s book is no joy ride over the cuckoo’s nest (his metaphor for unbiblical ideas that have crept into the church) but a surgical air strike. Here is sound biblical and Christian thinking about what it is to be human, and about the practical implications for all areas of life.”
—Kevin J. Vanhoozer, research professor of systematic theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
“Iain Provan is a trusted guide for thinking biblically about all of life and about the most pressing issues of our time. The short topical essays presented in this book are accessible, but they pack a real punch. They may be read individually in bit-size pieces and digested at leisure, but cumulatively they will provoke the reader to consider deeply how Scripture ought to inform our minds and hearts today.”
—Bruce Hindmarsh, professor of spiritual theology and history of Christianity, Regent College
“In the moral and ethical maze of our time, this gathering of Iain Provan’s insights will help to upend assumed and cherished cultural narratives and ground the thinking of the church in biblical and theological narratives instead. His insight that the primary theological question of our time is ‘What does it mean to be human?’ is, I believe, correct. The core answer to this question lies in Christian humanism grounded in the biblical texts and the incarnation. This kind of work will hopefully curb the descent of the West into dystopia.”
—Ross Hastings, chair of theology, Regent College
“The most pressing question of our day—which we find posed in news, in print, and in social media—is ‘What does it mean to be human? Are we really just spirits “merely clothed in physicality” that can be discarded? Or is there more to being human?’ Iain Provan answers this question with great insight into the biblical witness but also with profound engagement with contemporary issues. This book is a treasury of wisdom and insight. You will not want to be without it.”
—Ian Paul, author of Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary
Related Titles
