6The cross has always been portrayed as the means of salvation and forgiveness for sinners, but does it have anything to say to those who have been sinned against? This book shows that the atonement of Christ has powerful potential to speak to those who have been wronged, especially those who have been abused and abandoned in countless ways--those who cower at the back side of the cross wondering if they are included. As victims of various kinds of abuse are beginning to come out of the shadows in cultural conversation and in the context of the church, The Back Side of the Cross is a timely book for several audiences. It is thoroughly rigorous and will interest theologians and their students; it also offers a very practical section for pastors and those who want to care for the wounded; and it can even reach survivors themselves as it offers true hope in the urgency of such real pain.