The preaching of the cross of Jesus stands at the very heart of Christian practice: a Christianity without Christ and the cross makes no historical, theological or moral sense. But what does it mean to preach Christ crucified today? In an age when much Christian preaching of `the gospel' has been diluted, watered down and individualised, Kenneth Leech raises some disturbing questions as a focus for prayer and study. The meaning of the cross is examined in relation to pain and suffering, social justice, non-violence, the darkness of faith, and preaching and ministry. Drawing on hymns, poems and real-life situations, Kenneth Leech explores and exposes the pain and paradox of Christian experience. He helps us understand Jesus' supreme act of self-sacrifice and, in so doing, to make better sense of our own lives.