In a secular age, the human need for some kind of redemption remains. Many feel diminished by personal failure, a lack of meaning to life or an underlying sadness about themselves or the state of the world. The marked interest in spirituality and therapeutic practices point to the search for peace or transcendence, but Christianity often seems to lack the helpful word or sign that speaks to such longings. We are left wondering what a message of redemption amounts to in a time when the threat of hell or the hope of heaven have lost much of their ancient power. Rod Garner here explores what it is about human beings that makes the promise of redemption a vital part of the contemporary Christian gospel. Drawing on scripture, theology, philosophy and the creative arts he throws light on the inexhaustible question of what it means to be human and where the roots are to be found that lead to wholeness and restoration.