Simply Jesus A new vision of who he was, what he did, and why he matters

N. T. Wright

Book - 2011

"We have grown used to the battles over Jesus-whether he was human or divine as well, whether he could do miracles or just inspire them, whether he even existed or not. Much of the church defends tradition and the critics take shots at that tradition. But what if these debates have masked the real story of Jesus from us? What if even Jesus's defenders in the church have been blinded by focusing on these issues that it has prevented them from fully grappling with what the Gospels really teach? Bible scholar, Anglican bishop, and bestselling author N.T. Wright summarizes a lifetime of study of Jesus and the New Testament in order to present for a general audience who Jesus was and is. In SIMPLY JESUS, we are invited to hear one of o...ur leading scholars introduce the story of carpenter's son from Nazareth as if we were hearing it for the first time. "Jesus-the Jesus we might discover if we really looked," explains Wright, "is larger, more disturbing, more urgent than we had ever imagined. We have successfully managed to hide behind other questions and to avoid the huge, world-shaking challenge of Jesus' central claim and achievement. It is we, the churches, who have been the real reductionists. We have reduced the kingdom of God to private piety; the victory of the cross to comfort for the conscience; Easter itself to a happy, escapist ending after a sad, dark tale. Piety, conscience and ultimate happiness are important, but not nearly as important as Jesus himself." As the church faces the many challenges of the twenty-first century, Wright has presented a vision of Jesus that more than meets them"--

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Subjects
Published
New York : HarperOne c2011.
Language
English
Main Author
N. T. Wright (-)
Edition
1st ed
Physical Description
xiv, 240 p. ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9780062084392
  • Preface
  • Part 1.
  • 1. A Very Odd Sort of King
  • 2. The Three Puzzles
  • 3. The Perfect Storm
  • 4. The Making of a First-Century Storm
  • 5. The Hurricane
  • Part 2.
  • 6. God's in Charge Now
  • 7. The Campaign Starts Here
  • 8. Stories That Explain and a Message That Transforms
  • 9. The Kingdom Present and Future
  • 10. Battle and Temple
  • 11. Space, Time, and Matter
  • 12. At the Heart of the Storm
  • 13. Why Did the Messiah Have to Die?
  • 14. Under New Management: Easter and Beyond
  • Part 3.
  • 15. Jesus: The Ruler of the World
  • Further Reading
  • Scripture Index
Review by Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Wright, an Anglican bishop, has written extensively on the life of Jesus. Here, he pulls together threads from previous works, particularly Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church (2008), to explore a new way of looking at Jesus and his purpose. For Wright, the investigations into Jesus' life by those seeking the historical Jesus have added information but missed the mark. Using his own rather informal translation of the gospels, together with his knowledge of Jewish history, memes, and themes, he offers answers to the questions asked in Jesus Christ Superstar: Who are you? And who do you think you are? The answer, quite simply, is the incarnation of God, who burst the boundaries of all expectations and lived and died in the belief that he was embodying the returning, rescuing royal mission of Israel's God. But rather than cloaking this idea in Christian theology, Wright patiently explains the worldviews that Jesus stepped into, how his parables point to his mission, and, finally, what this truth means in today's world. Wright's direct style, reminiscent of C. S. Lewis' writings, invites readers in but allows for internal argument. (It must be said that Wright's extended metaphor about Jesus' life and times as embodying the perfect storm becomes a bit wearying.) In the end, the sovereignty of Jesus is exemplified in ways not all that unexpected: faith without works is dead. Those inclined will see ways to make themselves part of the kingdom.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.