Since my introduction to N.T. Wright's magnificent series of books on Christian Origins, I have wanted to blog my way through them. At the present, there are four volumes in five books. The series begins with The New Testament and the People of God (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Press, 1992) [Hereafter NTPG]. I was first exposed to this series taking a class from Dr. Darrell Bock on the subject of Historical Jesus. I can genuinely say that class changed me in a significant way, in large part because of reading Dr. Wright. It is my hope you will find my observations and comments as I reread this series helpful in your Christian walk.
Chapter 1, pp 3-28, introduces the reader to the task that Wright has set out: writing about Jesus in his historical context and on Paul in his. Much ink has been spilled over the last couple of centuries on the question of Historical Jesus--is the presentation of Jesus in the Gospels historical? Theological? Myth? Did Paul invent Christianity? The answers vary widely. Unfortunately, within the variety of answers have come quite opposite reactions to the answers, such as fundamentalism in response to the very liberal versions of Christianity in the late 19th and early 20th century. One was allowed a narrow range of interpretation before an accusation of liberal was cast one's way and one was 'driven out of the temple'. Sadly, there are wonderful contributions on all sides of New Testament study, whether form criticism, rhetorical, source, literary, or others. Much can be gleaned. And much is lost with a narrow focus on just one. Wright wants the New Testament to be read so that it can be heard in all its glory. This means understanding first century Jewish, Roman, and Greek culture. It means realizing that Jesus is doing his ministry in the latter part of Second Temple Judaism (roughly 4th century BC to 1st century AD). Jesus is speaking to a thoroughly first century Jewish people. Paul writes to a first century Roman-Greek people, primarily Gentile. It means we are in for a bit of culture shock. It also means we might just have to ask some tough questions. And we may not like some of the answers! But we must ask. We must seek. We must knock.
We must also recognize the time in which we live. Christianity was birthed in what we might call the pre-modern era; we find ourselves in the post-modern era. Thus, we must also learn from what each era brought to New Testament study: reading it as authoritative (pre-modern), reading it critically (modern), and reading phenomenologically (post-modern; p 27). Each has its contributions; each has its limitations. Wright will take us on a journey that navigates us through each, attempting to sift the wheat from the chaff. One that this reader has found to be very fruitful, and I hope you will too.
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