Mere Wright

(A Review of "Simply Christian" by N.T. Wright)

You know you are reading a good book when you look back and every other line is highlighted. Though I didn't enjoy this book as much as I have other books by Wright, it is certainly a welcome edition to his works.

The comparisons to C.S. Lewis's "Mere Christianity" are over exaggerated. This is not that book, nor should it be. Expecting Wright to be Lewis is like expecting Spielberg to be Shakespeare. Spielberg is a bad ass of a different sort than Shakespeare, even though they both tell good tales. "Mere Christianity" is C.S. Lewis's Magnum Opus. This is not Wright's. See his "Christian Origins and the Question of God" for that.

This book serves as a wonderful introduction to the thoughts of Wright. He emphasizes those places where contemporary Christians need to think again, while laying out his amazing view of what Christianity is. He re-affirms what we ought to emphasize in our thoughts about Jesus, his Jewish roots, and the Church now. His chapter on Israel is worth the price of the book.

Though this is far more common today in Jesus scholarship, Wright is the king of placing Jesus in historic Jewish, faithful context. Jesus is not a modern or a medieval man. He is a first century peasant who loved the story of Yahweh and found his identity therein.

The most valuable material here is Wright's future perspective. He knows that the Bible does not teach that Christ Followers will be sucked up into some ethereal heaven when they die. He instead makes case for the resurrection of believers and their work now between the resurrection and return of Christ. This is one of the top 3 books I would offer for someone interested in knowing what Christianity is. Read it! It will give you a beautifully grounded perspective that is not just about me and my salvation.