It probably won’t take a long perusal of this blog to discover that Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright has had a significant influence on both my theological thinking and the way I read the Bible. So, it will come as no surprise that I was excited about his visit to our Asbury Theological Seminary this week. Wright delivered two lectures entitled “Use of Scripture in Contemporary Political Discourse” and “God in Public: Biblical Faith in Tomorrow’s World.” Both lectures were quite compelling and full of important insights about the way Christians should engage in the realm of politics. However, my favorite event of the week was the New Testament Colloquium where Wright presented a talk entitled, “Acts and the Contemporary Challenge of the Gospel.” The events were rounded off by a small talk back session where I was fortunate enough to sit at a table with the Bishop and discuss a few matters of exegesis in Romans as well as get the above picture. For those who are not familiar with Wright and his work, his website has more than enough material to start with. It is worth the time to listen to at least a little of what he has to say. I particularly appreciate his desire to communicate with people in every level of society. Wright’s is no ivory tower theology. I’m surely not the first to say that he writes with a scholar’s pen but a pastor’s heart.
Grace and peace,
Matt