Tom Wright – “Heavy Theological Dude” – Interviewed

Paul writes – Yesterday I read an interesting interview (dated 17^th Dec. 07) – the Wittenburg Door Interview (Becky Garrison) – with N.T. Wright. It’s amusingly headed: Heavy Theological Dude Mistakenly Talks to Us. I’ve read lot’s of interviews with Wright, but always find something new and interesting amongst each one – it might be a way of wording something; a different nuance, a way of illustrating a theological point etc.

Here’s an excerpt. You can read the whole interview here.

“WITTENBURG DOOR: What does it mean for us to be living in the fifth act: the time of the church?

N.T. WRIGHT: In The Last Word, I explain that we can understand the Bible best if we read it as a five-act play, the five acts being Creation, Fall, Israel, Jesus and Church. We are not living in an unfallen creation; or in a fallen world without promise; or in the time of Israel BC; or, indeed, in the time of Jesus himself. We are living in the fifth act, and have to improvise, under the guidance of the Spirit, in such a way as to bring this narrative—not some other one!—to its appointed and proper conclusion. In other words, to implement the achievement of Jesus and thus to anticipate the promise of new heavens and new earth.

DOOR: Why do we need the Bible?

WRIGHT: The Bible is here to equip God’s people to carry forward His purposes of new covenant and new creation. It is there to enable people to work for justice, to sustain their spirituality as they do so, to create and enhance relationships at every level, and to produce that new creation which will have something of the beauty of God himself. The Bible isn’t like an accurate description of how a car is made. It’s more like the mechanic who helps you fix it, the garage attendant who refuels it, and the guide who tells you how to get where you’re going. And where you’re going is to make God’s new creation happen in his world, not simply to find your own way unscathed through the old creation…”

Comments

[Ruth Mazengarb]

Hi Paul,
I've found the last two posts really encouraging! I also liked reading 'why you post'...good stuff. Thanks for doing what you do with this blog, is a fantastic space and forum.
Take care, all the best for this new year.
Ruth