In discussing the death of Jesus, we often focus on suffering, redemption, or other doctrinal aspects of the cross. Rarely, it seems, do we meditate on the paradoxical beauty of Christ's death. In A Scandalous Beauty, Thomas Schmidt uses literary devices, powerful narratives, and moving portraits of ordinary people to express beauty and imagination in the details surrounding Christ's death and its world-changing effects. In a knowledgeable and perceptive reading of the New Testament, Schmidt shows us how God draws near to us through the scandalous beauty of the Son's death. This creative book offers a fresh, convincing reason to hope in the face of death. It is ideal for personal meditative or devotional reading, adult Sunday school, small groups, and lovers of the creative arts, and will appeal to readers not only during the Lenten and Easter seasons, but throughout the church year.