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Articles by N.T. Wright
How Bach draws us into the heart of the divine drama
John’s Gospel stands near the heart of authentic Christian spirituality. Bach is one of his great exponents. Music itself, after all, is incarnational: a strange glory, enriching the world through human skill. To sing, said Augustine, is to pray twice. To sing the passion – and Bach’s congregation would have joined in the chorales – is to share physically, with mind, body and breath, in the mystery of the word made flesh. Singing the Passion is thus second cousin to the Eucharist itself.
Into the Heart of Romans: A Deep Dive into Paul's Greatest Letter
Into the Heart of Romans: A Deep Dive into Paul's Greatest Letter Zondervan Academic / 2023 / Hardcover 5 out of 5 stars for Into the Heart of Romans: A Deep Dive into Paul's Greatest Letter (1 Review) Write a Review In Stock Stock No: WW161958 ▼▲Other Formats (2) ▼▲Others Also Purchased (1) Join one of today's most renowned New Testament scholars as he digs into the central chapter of Paul's greatest epistle! N.T. Wright shows how Romans 8 illuminates so much else that is revealed in...
The Great Story of the Bible Is Not About Going to Heaven. It’s About God Coming to Us
The “normal” story which almost all modern Christianity tells about the soul comes into sharp focus at funerals. We assume, along with most of Western culture, that the point of Christianity is “to go to heaven when you die.” But that is not the story which the Bible itself, both Old and New Testaments, is actually telling. Rather, the great story the Bible tells, from Genesis to Revelation, is about God’s purpose and promise to come and live with us.
From Death to Life: A Look at Paul’s Argument in Ephesians 2:1-7
Verses 1–10 of Ephesians 2 offer a classic Pauline statement of the movement from sin to salvation. Verses 1–3 state the problem; verses 4–7 display God’s solution; and verses 8–10 sum up the result. Ephesians 2:1–7 actually form a single sentence in the Greek, with the opening phrase hanging in the air (you were dead in sins) until the main verb in verse 5 (God made us alive). Now, of course, Paul can tell the story of sin and salvation in many different ways.
Behold the ‘God of Generous Out-Flowing Love’
N.T. Wright is one of the world’s pre-eminent New Testament scholars. A former bishop of Durham and the author of more than 80 books, he has taught at Cambridge, McGill, St. Andrews and Oxford Universities. I spoke with Dr. Wright about the meaning of the incarnation, his faith journey and why he is a follower of Jesus; when his faith “seemed to go dark”; and the central contributions of the Apostle Paul, about whom he has written extensively.
The Christmas Story Has Always Been About Power
His rule, however, was brutal, and he was hated and feared. When he was dying, he gave orders for leading local men to be killed so that there would be plenty of mourning going on, and not just celebration.
N.T. Wright and Michael Bird on Christianity and Politics - A Book Excerpt
This is running today on our sister blog, Christianity 201. We’re ever grateful to HarperCollins Christian Products for the opportunity to run occasional excerpts from their books, though it’s actually been several years since we availed ourselves of the opportunity.
Christians and Politics: N.T. Wright, Michael Bird - Book Excerpt
We’re ever grateful to HarperCollins Christian Products for the opportunity to run occasional excerpts from their books, though it’s actually been several years since we availed ourselves of the opportunity. This was something I thought worthy of inclusion here.
The Link Between the Resurrection and Elections
A protester dressed in a bible costume stands in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 5, 2022. Credit - Bill Clark—CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images I went to a funeral recently. It was an old friend and former colleague. The big "C," diagnosed six years ago. He outlived the first diagnosis by five years but eventually it caught up. Splendid service, lovely music, fine sermon, many poignant moments. I met dozens of people I hadn’t seen for years. All as it should be. Except for one thing.
N.T. Wright - How to Study the New Testament
How do we understand the narrative, the real-life story of God in the New Testament? How should we view the story which reached its ultimate climax in Jesus of Nazareth and which then flows out, in the power of the Spirit, to transform the world with his love and justice?
The Bible’s Most Misunderstood Verse Original
When I was working as a bishop, interviewing clergy for parish jobs, one of the questions I would sometimes ask was, “If you could take one chapter of the Bible to a desert island, which would it be?” To make it more interesting, I would often add, “Let's say you’ve already got Romans 8.” Otherwise nearly everyone would choose it; it's one of the great summaries of the message of the whole Bible, full of challenge as well as comfort.
Ep 325: Spring 2023 Reading Rundown
Though the Libertarian Christian Podcast may have a slight bias towards podcasts, we also love a good book. In this episode, hosts Doug Stuart and Alex Bernardo of the Protestant Libertarian Podcast sit down to talk about their reading habits and the books they’ve been enjoying recently, ranging from works of fiction like Harry Potter all the way to historical narratives about the Soviet Union.
Review: An Intertextual Commentary to the Psalter: Juxtaposition and Allusion in Book I by David Emanuel
David Emanuel’s An Intertextual Commentary to the Psalter: Juxtaposition and Allusion in Book I is a reliable and thorough guide to instances of interconnectedness (juxtaposition) and reuse of scripture (allusion) in Psalms 1–41. This is one of those books that has a clear goal and sticks to it. You will not find most of the features of a commentary, but that is a strength here. Emanuel simply and concisely walks through Psalms 1–41, noting two kinds of literary connections.
Review of Five Views of Christ in the Old Testament edited by Brian J. Tabb and Andrew M. King
For Paul, Christ died and rose “in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3–4). Peter said that the prophets spoke of the “suffering of Christ and the subsequent glories” (1 Pe 1:10–12). Jesus himself affirmed that — “as it is written” — ”the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead” (Luke 24:46). But Christian scholars today disagree on exactly if and how Christ should be found in the Old Testament. I’m grateful for Brian J. Tabb and Andrew M.
Should We Cancel Luther and Calvin?
Should We Cancel Luther and Calvin? The Reformers believed in burning heretics. Making sense of that grave mistake means looking first at ourselves.
Should We Cancel Luther and Calvin?
Cancel culture knows no bounds, even historical ones. Based on some un-Christlike writings by Protestant reformers John Calvin and Martin Luther—along the lines of burning heretics—there have been some recent discussions about “canceling” these paragons of church history. The debates sound similar to conversations we’ve had about secular historical figures being canceled for owning slaves, for example.
My Digital Seminary
How do we understand God’s word? Luther was no stranger to conflict. He found himself at odds with the Roman Church and other reformers. How did he navigate this struggle? Luther said “here I stand”—upon the word. But when God’s word itself is the battlefield, how did he distinguish friend from foe? Did he trust in his own subjective interpretation? Was Luther merely a more accurate interpreter? Or perhaps just a louder and more bullish one? In Martin Luther and the Rule of Faith, Todd R.
Review of Jesus: The Incarnation of the Word by David C. Mitchell
A new David Mitchell book is an event. His work, including the eschatology of the Psalms and the concept of Messiah Ben Joseph, has been paradigm-shifting for me. Jesus: The Incarnation of the Word did not disappoint. It is full of the profound and provocative insights that I have come to expect from Mitchell. This is a companion book to Mitchell’s Messiah Ben Joseph, but can be read independently.
Helping to Process and Pray for Ukraine
When things seem to be descending into chaos, as they have been doing, it's only natural that people try to reach out for some sort of framework within which to make sense of things. We were in a similar situation with the pandemic a couple of years ago, and I think we are seeing a kind of chaos come again because what we thought was a relatively stable, geopolitical order has now revealed itself to be totally unstable.
Free Ebook from N.T. Wright
Throughout his letters to the early Christian churches, Paul's basic point is one of unity. He urges not merely a pat unity of similarity, but one encompassing disparate cultures and individuals. To many 21st century observers, however, it seems that the Church has either forgotten or abandoned that attractive vision. Why? In this new ebook, Prof.
How the Christmas Stories Call the Church to a Different Vision
Two weeks ago I visited our old family church, in the far north of England. I was placing flowers by my parents’ gravestone, in front of memorials to my grandparents, great-grandparents and sundry uncles and aunts. But my eye was drawn, as it has often been, to the Jesse Window in the east end of the twelfth-century church. “Jesse Windows”—a traditional medieval design in stained glass—display Jesus’ ancestry in the form of a spreading tree.
Livestream - Reading the Gospels While Black: A conversation with Esau McCaulley & N.T. Wright, co-hosted by Regent College, Seattle Pacific Seminary, and Portland Seminary. | About Us | Regent College
Graduate Programs Courses Faculty Admissions & Finance Lifelong Learning Give to Regent More Links About Us Our Campus Contact Current Students Alumni Bookstore ReFrame Summer Search Site Livestream Reading the Gospels While Black: A conversation with Esau McCaulley & N.T. Wright, co-hosted by Regent College, Seattle Pacific Seminary, and Portland Seminary.
Easter Hope for a Post-Pandemic World
I knew from an early age there was something wrong. I listened to Easter sermons from good evangelical preachers, and they seemed to be missing the point. I suspect the same problem is getting in the way now, as we try to draw from the Easter message the hope that the post-pandemic world will need so badly. The sermons I heard tended to stress two points. First, belief in Jesus’ resurrection could be supported by personal testimony: “You ask me how I know he lives?
What is the Point of Celebrating Easter During a Pandemic?
This time last year the talk was all about what we will have learned when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, and allowing normal life to resume. People, it was suggested, would become more caring, more sensitive, perhaps more green. I see no sign of those utopian dreams today. The only game in town I see coming is the blame game: whose fault was it? Looking back in anger offers more low-hanging political fruit than looking forward with genuine, workable proposals.
A Suffering Messiah?
On this episode we’ll be concluding our brief series through the Servant Songs by taking a look at the song of the Suffering Servant from Isaiah 53. Where exactly does this famous hymn begin, and is there any evidence that readers of Isaiah believed it pointed to the coming Messiah? Are there any references to a suffering messiah in the Dead Sea Scrolls or other ancient Jewish texts?
Jesus Is Coming - Plant a Tree!
We have declared, in the Nicene Creed, that Jesus Christ “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom shall have no end,” but neither mainline Catholic nor mainline Protestant theology has explored what exactly we mean by all that, and we have left a vacuum to be filled by various kinds of dualism.
N.T. Wright: Living in the Material World
The Psalms celebrate the transformation of time; they stand at the intersection of space—God’s space and ours—and they do something very similar with what we may call “matter.” The Psalms celebrate—in fact, they positively relish—the sheer physicality of creation: its stuff and substance, its seedtimes and harvests, the winds and the rocks, the nights and the days.
Militant Masculinity: A Review of Jesus and John Wayne.
My mom recently mentioned to me a book she had heard about and was starting to read. It was by Kristin Kobes Du Mez. I had not really heard of her except the briefest of snippets I had seen on twitter that had mentioned the title of her book, Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. It was an intriguing premise and the subtitle was guaranteed to elicit a response. A short time later the book arrived at my doorstep (thanks Mom) and I started reading it.
For the Life of the World
53 min Miroslav Volf interviews N.T. Wright about his latest book, God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and Its Aftermath.
Should Churches Reopen? The Answer Lies in Thinking of This As a Time of Exile
When the present pandemic began to take hold, a passage from the writings of Martin Luther went the rounds on the internet. With his usual combination of down-to-earth wisdom and practical piety, Luther insisted that preachers and pastors should remain at their posts. As good shepherds, they should be prepared to lay down their lives for their sheep: “If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me,” he wrote in a letter to a pastor friend.
Christianity Offers No Answers About the Coronavirus
For many Christians, the coronavirus-induced limitations on life have arrived at the same time as Lent, the traditional season of doing without. But the sharp new regulations—no theater, schools shutting, virtual house arrest for us over-70s—make a mockery of our little Lenten disciplines. Doing without whiskey, or chocolate, is child’s play compared with not seeing friends or grandchildren, or going to the pub, the library or church. There is a reason we normally try to meet in the flesh.
(Re)Imagining Apologetics: Suggested Reading
This weekend I taught a class on (Re)Imagining apologetics for a secular age. This is my suggested reading list (which I forgot to hand out during the class). If you are interested, check out some of the titles below.
N.T. Wright - Providence
Let Us Start Building! A Sermon in Memory of Al McDonald Last week at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford, Reverend N.T. Wright gave an obituary sermon that captures Al McDonald’s tremendous spirit. Because Al’s life and vision parallel Providence‘s aim to prove the power of the Hebraic tradition to explain reality and promote human flourishing in every sphere of life, both private and public, it is fitting to share Wright’s wonderful essay with you. N.T. WrightFebruary 18, 2020
Beneath the Tree of Life
As an aid to this reflection, and to the vocations that follow from it, let me close with a truly remarkable example of the sort of thing I mean. In Revelation 22, the river of life flows from the city to irrigate the surrounding countryside, and on its banks grows the tree of life: not a single tree, as in Genesis, but many trees, now freely available, bearing fruit each month and with leaves for healing.
The Revolutionary Politics of the First Christmas
I stood at the back of the Cathedral at 1:30 on Christmas morning, shaking hands with the midnight worshippers on their way home. I had been preaching about God coming into our lives at Christmastime, especially in the form of the weak, the vulnerable and the homeless. Most of the congregation were happy, but one man had something to get off his chest. “You should stick to the script!” he said to me.
The New Testament Doesn’t Say What Most People Think It Does About Heaven
One of the central stories of the Bible, many people believe, is that there is a heaven and an earth and that human souls have been exiled from heaven and are serving out time here on earth until they can return. Indeed, for most modern Christians, the idea of “going to heaven when you die” is not simply one belief among others, but the one that seems to give a point to it all. But the people who believed in that kind of “heaven” when the New Testament was written were not the early Christians.
New perspectives offered on nuances of St. Paul
Mar 20, 2019 PAUL: A BIOGRAPHY By N.T. Wright 464 pages; Published by HarperOne $26.99 N.T. Wright's book Paul: A Biography is a great place for a non-scholar to begin his or her study of the Apostle Paul. Wright, a noted theologian, historian and retired Anglican bishop, gives us possibly the most accessible and comprehensive biography of Paul to date.
N.T. Wright on the Apostle Paul's sudden popularity
(RNS) — “Paul: A Biography” isn’t the first book Bible scholar N.T. Wright has written about Paul, the apostle responsible for so many of the letters in the New Testament. There’s also “Paul,” “Paul and the Faithfulness of God,” “Paul and his Recent Interpreters,” With Paul’s biography, Wright wanted to put people in the world that the apostle’s letters came from, in the same way Robert Harris’ series of novels about Cicero brought the ancient Roman statesman to life for him.
What Is Marriage For?
But when we get to the New Testament, we find something which goes clean against the assumption I mentioned a moment ago. We might expect, from the received assumption, that we would move from a strict moral demand in the Old Testament to a slackening of moral tension in the New. Not a bit of it. Jesus is very clear, in Mark 10 and elsewhere: now that he is there, launching God’s kingdom, renewing the covenant between God and his people, the creation itself is being renewed.
Ephesians: Enhance the Beauty Around Us By Our God-given Gifts
Where Do We Come In? In Ephesians 2 verse 10, we learn there is nothing we can do to earn or merit our salvation. We are saved by grace through faith. Then Paul says, ‘We are what God has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life’. Now you may well feel that phrase ‘good works’ is a bit ho-hum, a bit ‘oh dear, here we go, we’ve got to behave ourselves’ and all that sort of thing. But it’s not like that at all.
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