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    Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues
    Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues
    Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues
    Audiobook8 hours

    Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues

    Written by N. T. Wright

    Narrated by James Langton

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    A thoughtful and provocative collection, in the vein of the intellectual spiritual classic The Weight of Glory, from N. T. Wright, the influential Bishop, Bible scholar, and bestselling author widely regarded as a modern C. S. Lewis.

    An unusual combination of scholar, churchman, and leader, N. T. Wright—hailed by Newsweek as “the world’s leading New Testament scholar”—is not only incredibly insightful, but conveys his knowledge in terms that excite and inspire Christian leaders worldwide, allowing them to see the Bible from a fresh viewpoint. In this challenging and stimulating collection of popular essays, sermons, and talks, Wright provide a series of case studies which explore how the Bible can be applied to some of the most pressing contemporary issues facing us, including:

    • Why it is possible to love the Bible and affirm evolution
    • Why women should be allowed to be ordained
    • Where Christians today have lost focus, and why it is important for them to engage in politics—and why that involvement benefits everyone
    • Why the Christian belief in heaven means we should be at the forefront of the environmental movement
    • And much more

    Helpful, practical, and wise, Surprised by Scripture invites readers to examine their own hearts and minds and presents new models for understanding how to affirm the Bible in today’s world—as well as new ideas and renewed energy for deepening our faith and engaging with the world around us.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJun 3, 2014
    ISBN9780062332059
    Author

    N. T. Wright

    N. T. Wright is the former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England and one of the world’s leading Bible scholars. He serves as the chair of New Testament and Early Christianity at the School of Divinity at the University of St. Andrews as well as Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University. He has been featured on ABC News, Dateline, The Colbert Report, and Fresh Air. Wright is the award-winning author of many books, including Paul: A Biography, Simply Christian, Surprised by Hope, The Day the Revolution Began, Simply Jesus, After You Believe, and Scripture and the Authority of God.

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    Reviews for Surprised by Scripture

    4.5/5

    56 ratings3 reviews

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    • 5/5
      N.T. Wright has a brilliant mind and is able to dialogue with various matters of culture, society and Christianity.
    • 4/5
      Lots of good stuff here, but some (many) of the ideas would have benefited from a fuller (book length) development. I suppose that is to be expected from a collection of essays on large topics. Not surprisingly, then, the pieces I enjoyed most were those on topics Wright has addressed in books. “Jesus is Coming – Plant a Tree!,”one of my favorites, expands on ideas from Surprised by Hope and For All God's Worth, and “How the Bible Reads the Modern World” on ideas from The Last Word. Conversely, the essays I enjoyed least, the first four, were on topics on which Wright hasn't written books or, at least, I haven't read them. I had been particularly interested in what he would say in “The Biblical Case for Ordinating Women,” and there were plenty of good insights there, but his speculations on 1 Timothy 2:8-15, particularly on what prompted the writing of the letter, seemed to me to be... quite speculative. Also, in several essays he gives Lucretius, who seems to pop up everywhere recently, more credit than I am convinced he merits for almost singlehandedly instigating the Enlightenment. A minor quibble though, and his repeated reminders that the way most modern westerners see the world is not historically typical are well taken. While the science/religion essays were not the best, I was interested to see Wright bringing in material from John Walton's The Lost World of Genesis One, which I enjoyed, and Jonathan Sacks's The Great Partnership, which is in my “to read” stack. Overall, I would say this is a nice review and updating of Wright's ideas in a number of areas, which will be most enjoyed by readers who are familiar with his arguments from more in-depth treatments.
    • 4/5
      (Preliminary Review) I wish this work was more complete and scholarly, but still an excellent and sound work. In particular, he puts the Enlightenment, Modernism and Post-Modernism in their proper perspectives. Particularly from the last few chapters, I had the following thought: It seems being Jesus to the community around you requires actions (not debate, arguments, doctrine, etc.), love (of the all-out self-giving sort) and sacrifice. If we can do this, then the rest (doctrine, etc.) matters. If we do not, then the rest is irrelevant.Chap. 3- Can a Scientist Believe the Resurrection- If you don't force God upstairs someplace faraway where he cannot interfere, then sure you can (If you are a modern Epicurist, then this is a problem). The historical evidence can force the question, but it cannot force you to believe in the resurrection. Chap. 4- The Case for Ordaining Women- Not as complete as I would like, but he makes a strong initial case for this point.Chap. 5- Jesus is Coming--Plant a Tree- Three points: 1) God's creation is good. 2) God will renew it, and we are called to start that process now. 3) Climate change has social implications, particularly for the poor and vulnerable.