The book of Jonah is full of surprises. This is no less true for readers of our day than it was for its original audience. How is it possible that a city like Nineveh, whose political stature depended on the success of the Assyrian empire’s brutal military campaigns, would repent?1 Why does Jonah seem so out of touch with the God who calls him to act as a prophet? And a very different surprise awaits readers as the book encourages them to adopt a critical attitude