Athol Gill was without doubt one of Australia's High- profile Baptist scholars and one of the most radical at that. He died in 1992 from a massive heart attack at the young age of 54. Athol was, without doubt according to his friends and enemies, controversial.
He was one of the only senior Australian Baptist figures to have been voted out of office in the Australian states of Queensland and Victoria.
Athol Gill really got up the noses of Australian Baptist's in general by siding with the poor and those on the margins and in particular he spoke his mind and often not in a tactful way. He also took a stand against those who armed themselves with proof texts and a ‘flat Bible’ He called for proper exegesis of the texts and wrestling with scripture.
Another thing that got up the noses of Australian Baptist's was that Athol blamed the rich for keeping the poor out of heaven and he could argue it as well.
Athol would teach that the overwhelming message of the biblical prophets is that the poor are not destitute by accident: the systems of this world are biassed towards legally or illegally transferring wealth in only one direction - towards the rich. Atoll was a man before his time. Many believe that he was a prophet to his own generation.
"Life on the road" Is a marvellous book that sets out much of Athol Gill's thoughts about scripture and how to interpret it and how to set scripture in it's proper context and by doing so how to learn about our own culture and how to follow Jesus with in it.
Athol speaks of the gospels as road maps and gives us "Round Bible" not "Flat Bible" ways to understand them and the gospel writers.
A classic book with modern application. A must for any person serious on "Round Bible" Study.
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