- N. T. Wright
-
The Rt Revd Prof
Tom Wright
PhD DD[1] LHD MA(Oxon)[1]Professor at St Andrews 
Wright speaking at a conference in December 2007In Office Since 1 September 2010 Other posts Bishop of Durham (2003-2010)
Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey (2000–2003)
Dean of Lichfield (1994–1999)Orders Ordination 1975 Consecration 2003 Personal details Birth name Nicholas Thomas Wright Born 1 December 1948
Morpeth, NorthumberlandNationality British Denomination Anglican Residence Auckland Castle, County Durham (2003–2010) Spouse Maggie[2] Children 4 children[2] Alma mater Exeter College, Oxford Nicholas Thomas "Tom" Wright (born 1 December 1948) is a leading New Testament scholar and former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England. His academic work has usually been published under the name N. T. Wright but works such as What St Paul Really Said and Simply Christian, which are aimed at a more popular readership, are published under the less formal name of Tom Wright.
Among modern New Testament scholars, Wright is an important representative of more conservative Christian views, compared to more liberal Christians, such as his friend Marcus Borg.[3] In particular, he is associated with the Open Evangelical position (Open Evangelicalism), the New Perspective on Paul, and the historical Jesus. He has promoted more traditional views about Jesus' bodily resurrection,[3] about Jesus' Second Coming,[4] and about homosexuality.[5]
Contents
Early life and credentials
Wright was born in Morpeth, Northumberland. Raised in the context of middle Anglicanism, he felt called to go into Christian ministry before the age of 7 or 8.[citation needed][dubious ]
In addition to his Doctor of Divinity from Oxford University, he also has been awarded several honorary doctoral degrees,[6] including from Durham University in July 2007,[7] the John Leland Center for Theological Studies in April 2008,[8] the University of St Andrews in 2009[9] and Heythrop College, University of London, in 2010.
Career
Educated at Sedbergh School, then in Yorkshire, Wright specialised in Classics.
From 1968 to 1971, he studied literae humaniores (or "classics", i.e. classical literature, philosophy and history) at Exeter College, Oxford, receiving his BA with First Class Honours in 1971. During that time he was president of the undergraduate Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union. In 1973 he received a BA in theology with first class honours from Exeter.
From 1971 to 1975 he studied for the Anglican ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, receiving his (Oxford) MA at the end of this period.
In 1975 he became a junior research fellow at Merton College, Oxford and later also junior chaplain. From 1978 to 1981 he was a fellow and chaplain at Downing College, Cambridge. In 1981 he received his DPhil from Merton College, Oxford, his thesis topic being "The Messiah and the People of God: A Study in Pauline Theology with Particular Reference to the Argument of the Epistle to the Romans".
After this, he served as assistant professor of New Testament studies at McGill University, Montreal (1981–1986), then as chaplain, fellow and tutor at Worcester College and lecturer in New Testament in the University of Oxford (1986–1993).
He moved from Oxford to be Dean of Lichfield Cathedral (1994–1999) and then returned briefly to Oxford as Visiting Fellow of Merton College, before taking up his appointment as Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey in 2000.
In 2003, he became the Bishop of Durham.
On 4 August 2006 he was appointed to the Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved for a period of five years.[10]
On 27 April 2010 it was announced that he would retire from the See of Durham on 31 August 2010 to take up a new appointment as Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at St Mary's College, University of St Andrews in Scotland, which will enable him to concentrate on his academic and broadcasting work.[11][12]
Views
New Testament doctrine
Wright's doctrinal perspectives, with reference to the New Testament, are expressed throughout his writings. In his popular-level book, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, Wright teaches a position referred to as "Christian mortalism". He also advocates a reunion of soteriology and ecclesiology, commenting that such a connection is often neglected in Protestantism. In addition, he is critical of various popular theological ideas, such as the dispensationalist doctrine of the rapture.[13]
Scholarly work
Wright is considered an important representative of the open evangelical perspective[citation needed] and is associated with the Third Quest for the Historical Jesus and the New Perspective on Paul, a complex movement with many unique[citation needed] positions (originating from the works of James Dunn and E.P. Sanders). He argues that the current understanding of Jesus must be connected with what is known to be true about him from the historical perspective of first-century Judaism and Christianity.
Wright's work has been praised by many scholars of varying views, including James D.G. Dunn, Gordon Fee, Richard B. Hays and Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Critics of his work are also found across the broad range of theological camps. Although Wright describes himself as a Reformed Calvinist,[source?] some Reformed theologians such as John Piper have sought to question Wright's theology, particularly over whether or not he denies the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone. Although Piper considers Wright's presentation confusing, he does not dismiss Wright's view as false. In response, Wright has stated he wishes Piper would "exegete Paul differently" and that his book "isn’t always a critique of what I’m actually saying." However, Wright did express how he has warmed to Piper and considers him a "good, beloved brother in Christ, doing a good job, building people up in the faith, teaching them how to live."[14] In 2009, he has since addressed the issue in his book Justification: God's Plan and Paul's Vision (Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2009). He has sought to clarify his position further in an interview with InterVarsity Press.[14] Many conservative evangelicals have also questioned whether Wright denies penal substitution, but Wright has stated that he denies only its caricature but affirms this doctrine, especially within the overall framework of the Christus Victor model of atonement [15] . Despite criticism of some of his work by Reformed theologians, other Reformed leaders have embraced his contribution in other areas, such as Tim Keller who praised Wright's work on the resurrection.[16]
Secular utopianism
In 2008, Wright criticized "…secular utopianism," accusing it of advocating "the right to kill unborn children and surplus old people..."[17] Times columnist David Aaronovitch challenged Wright specifically to substantiate his claim that any secular group does indeed advocate the killing of elderly people, leading to an ongoing exchange in which Wright held to his main point.[18][19][20][21]
Historical Jesus
Regarding the Historical Jesus, Wright stands broadly in the tradition of Albert Schweitzer (thoroughgoing eschatology), against what he sees as the thoroughgoing skepticism of William Wrede (famous for his thesis on the Messianic Secret in the Gospel of Mark as an apologetic and ahistorical device) and the Jesus Seminar, Wrede's modern-day counterparts.[22] He tends to agree with and laud such scholars as E.P. Sanders and the lesser-known Ben F. Meyer (whom Wright calls "the unsung hero" of New Testament studies),[23] although he thinks Sanders and others go too far in their use of form criticism. He also thinks it is a mistake to say that Jesus expected the imminence of the end of history, as Schweitzer thought,[24] but rather thinks that Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God as something both present and future. He has also defended a literal belief in the Second Coming and the resurrection of the dead as central to Christianity.[4]
Jesus Seminar
Wright has also received heavy criticism in some decidedly more liberal theological circles, e.g. by Robert J. Miller. In contrast, the Jesus Seminar's Marcus Borg, with whom Wright shares mutual admiration and respect, has co-authored with Wright the book The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions.[3] In 2005, at the Greer-Heard Point-Counterpoint Forum, Wright also conversed with Jesus Seminar co-founder John Dominic Crossan as to the historicity of Jesus' resurrection. Wright and Crossan, who also hold mutual admiration for one another, hold very different opinions on this foundational Christian doctrine. For Crossan, the resurrection of Jesus is a theological interpretation of events by the writers of the New Testament. For Wright, however, the resurrection is a historical event—coherent with the worldview of Second Temple Judaism—fundamental to the New Testament.[25]
Homosexuality in the Anglican Communion
Wright was the senior member from the Church of England of the Lambeth Commission set up to deal with controversies that emerged following Episcopal Church in the United States of America's ordination of a practising homosexual as bishop.[26] In 2009 the Episcopal Church authorized consecration to the clergy of individuals in committed same-sex relationships. Wright described the action as a "clear break with the rest of the Anglican Communion" in a Times opinion piece.[27]
Wright attracted media attention in December 2005 when he announced to the press, on the day that the first civil partnership ceremonies took place in England, that he would likely take disciplinary action against any clergy registering as civil partners or any clergy blessing such partnerships.[28] However, in a letter to clergy in Durham diocese at this time he said: "I shall be very sorry if members of the clergy, by holding services of blessing or near equivalent, force me to make disciplinary enquiries".[citation needed]
He has argued that "Justice never means 'treating everybody the same way', but 'treating people appropriately'".[5] In August 2009, he issued a statement saying:
...someone, sooner or later, needs to spell out further (wearisome though it will be) the difference between (a) the "human dignity and civil liberty" of those with homosexual and similar instincts and (b) their "rights", as practising let alone ordained Christians, to give physical expression to those instincts. As the Pope has pointed out, the language of "human rights" has now been downgraded in public discourse to the special pleading of every interest-group.[29]Selected works
- The Climax of the Covenant: Christ and the Law in Pauline Theology. Fortress Press, 1991.
- Following Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship. Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1997 / SPCK (Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge), 1994
- What Saint Paul Really Said: Was Paul of Tarsus the Real Founder of Christianity? Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1997.
- The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was and Is. Hardcover ed. InterVarsity Pr., 1999 / SPCK, 2000
- The Resurrection of Jesus: John Dominic Crossan and N.T. Wright in Dialogue. Ed. Robert B. Stewart. Paperback ed. Augsburg Fortress, Pub., 2005 / SPCK 2006 (co-authored with John D. Crossan)
- Paul: Fresh Perspective. Fortress Press, 2005 co-edition SPCK, 2005
- The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture. Harper SanFrancisco, 2005.
- Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense. Hardcover ed. SPCK, 2006 co-edition HarperCollins Pub., 2006.
- Judas and the Gospel of Jesus: Have We Missed the Truth about Christianity? SPCK 2006 / Baker Books, 2006.
- Evil and the Justice of God. SPCK, 2006 / Intervarsity Press, 2006.
- "The Reasons for Christ's Crucifixion," Stricken by God? Nonviolent Identification and the Victory of Christ (ed. by Brad Jersak and Michael Hardin), 2007.
- Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. SPCK, HarperOne, 2008.
- Jesus, the Final Days: What Really Happened. SPCK, 2008 / Westminster John Knox, 2009. (co-authored with Craig A. Evans) Ed. Troy A. Miller
- Justification: God's Plan and Paul's Vision. SPCK, 2009
- Virtue Reborn. SPCK, 2010. Published as After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters through HarperOne in North America, 2010
Christian Origins and the Question of God series
Six volumes expected:
- The New Testament and the People of God: Christian Origins and the Question of God, Volume 1. Augsburg Fortress, 1992.
- Jesus and the Victory of God: Christian Origins and the Question of God, Volume 2. Augsburg Fortress, 1996.
- The Resurrection of the Son of God: Christian Origins and the Question of God, Volume 3. Augsburg Fortress, 2003.
- Paul and the Faithfulness of God. - A full-dress study of Paul, currently in progress. (London: SPCK; Minneapolis: Fortress (forthcoming in 2012))http://www.ntwrightpage.com/NTW_Publications.htm
- The Gospels and the Story of God. - The four gospel writers as theologians in their own right.
- The Early Christians and the Purpose of God. -The practical, hermeneutical and theological implications of all of the above.
For Everyone series
- Matthew for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1-15. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. SPCK and Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
- Matthew for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 16-28. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. SPCK and Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
- Mark for Everyone. 2nd ed. SPCK and Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
- Luke for Everyone. 2nd ed. SPCK and Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
- John for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1-10. Paperback ed. SPCK and Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
- John for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 11-21. 2nd ed. SPCK and Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
- Paul for Everyone: Romans, Part 1: Chapters 1-8. 2nd ed. SPCK, 2004.
- Paul for Everyone: Romans, Part 2: Chapters 9-16. 2nd ed. SPCK, 2004.
- Paul for Everyone: 1 Corinthians. 2nd ed. SPCK, 2004.
- Paul for Everyone: 2 Corinthians. 2nd ed. SPCK, 2004.
- Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians. 2nd ed. SPCK, 2004.
- Paul for Everyone: the Pastoral Letters. 2nd ed. SPCK, 2004.
- Paul for Everyone, the Prison Letters: Ephesians, Philipians, Colossians and Philemon. 2nd ed. SPCK and Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
- Hebrews for Everyone. 2nd ed. SPCK, 2004.
- Acts for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1-12. SPCK, 2008
- Acts for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 13-28. SPCK, 2008
See also
References
- ^ a b Church of England — Bishop of Durham
- ^ a b Diocese of Durham — Bishops
- ^ a b c Borg, Marcus J. and N. T. Wright. The Meaning of Jesus: Two visions. New York: HarperCollins. 2007.
- ^ a b Van Biema, David (2008-02-07). "Christians Wrong About Heaven, Says Bishop ". Time. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1710844,00.html. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
- ^ a b Wright, Tom (2009-07-15). "The Americans know this will end in schism". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6710640.ece. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
- ^ Wright, Nicholas Thomas. "Curriculum Vitae". http://www.ntwrightpage.com/NTW_WebCV.htm. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- ^ "Anniversary accolades for major achievement" (Press release). Durham University. 2007-06-08. http://www.dur.ac.uk/news/allnews/?itemno=5456. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- ^ White, Jim (May 1, 2008). "Theologian N. T. Wright packs the house". Religious Herald (Richmond, Virginia). http://www.religiousherald.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2560&Itemid=113. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
- ^ "Honorary degrees 25 June 2009". University of St Andrews. 2009-06-25. http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/news/Title,35035,en.html. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- ^ London Gazette: no. 58062. p. 10685. 4 August 2006. Retrieved 2007-11-21.
- ^ Durham Anglican News
- ^ Times article
- ^ N. T. Wright Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church(ISBN 9780061551826): 2008. “When Paul speaks of 'meeting' the Lord 'in the air,' the point is precisely not—as in the popular rapture theology—that the saved believers would then stay up in the air somewhere, The point is that, having gone out to meet their returning Lord, they will escort him royally into his domain, that is, back to the place they have come from. Even when we realize that this is highly charged metaphor, not literal description, the meaning is the same as in the parallel in Philippians 3:20. Being citizens of heaven, as the Philippians would know, doesn 't mean that one is expecting go back to the mother city but rather means that one is expecting the emperor to come from the mother city to give the colony its full dignity, to rescue it if need he, to subdue local enemies and put everything to rights."
- ^ a b {{cite web| url=http://trevinwax.com/2008/04/24/trevin-wax-interview-with-nt-wright-on-surprised-by-hope/ | title=Trevin Wax Interview with N.T. Wright on Surprised by Hope | accessdate=2011-09-22
- ^ http://trevinwax.com/2007/11/18/wright-on-penal-substitution/
- ^ http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2008/02/an-interview-with-timothy-kell
- ^ "In quotes: The ethics of embryos". BBC News. 2008-03-24. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7310496.stm. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- ^ Aaronovitch, David (2008-03-25). "Wicked untruths from the Church". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/david_aaronovitch/article3613649.ece. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- ^ "Bishops speak out on embryos". The Times (London). 2008-03-26. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article3627715.ece. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- ^ Aaronovitch, David (2008-03-31). "Who wants to kill the elderly?". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/david_aaronovitch/article3648835.ece. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- ^ Wright, Tom (2008-04-03). "Euthanasia - a murky moral world". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article3669714.ece. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- ^ Wright, N. T. (1999). The challenge of Jesus: rediscovering who Jesus was & is. Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press. ISBN 0-8308-2200-3. OCLC 41645997.[page needed]
- ^ Wright, N. T. (1997). The original Jesus: the life and vision of a revolutionary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. ISBN 0-8028-4283-6. OCLC 38436317.[page needed]
- ^ Wright, N. T. (1999). The challenge of Jesus: rediscovering who Jesus was & is. Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press. ISBN 0-8308-2200-3. OCLC 41645997.[page needed]
- ^ Stewart, Robert B. (2007). Intelligent design: William A. Dembski & Michael Ruse in dialogue. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. ISBN 0-8006-6218-0. OCLC 148895223.[page needed]
- ^ "The members of the Lambeth Commission". The Windsor Report 2004. Anglican Communion. October 2004. http://www.anglicancommunion.org/windsor2004/members.cfm. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- ^ Tom Wright, 2009. "The Americans Know This Will End in Schism," The Times (London), July 15.
- ^ "Gay vicar flouts partnership rule". BBC News. 2005-12-21. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4548648.stm. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- ^ http://www.anglicancommunioninstitute.com/2009/07/rowan%E2%80%99s-reflections-unpacking-the-archbishop%E2%80%99s-statement/
External links
- N. T. Wright Page contains a large amount of material by N. T. Wright
Church of England titles Preceded by
Michael TurnbullBishop of Durham
2003–2010Succeeded by
Justin WelbyCategories:- 1948 births
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