Later this week I’ll be attending an event at the Newbigin House in San Francisco with N.T. Wright as the keynote speaker. I’ve read previous books by Wright, and enjoyed them, so I picked up his latest release Simply Jesus.
The book title is accurate but somehow deceptive. N.T. Wright attempts to toss aside a lot of the current debate about Jesus — whether he was real, whether he was truly God, whether he really did do miracles, etc. — and instead “simply look at Jesus” without all the baggage that popular debates have created. Thus the book title.
The problem, of course, is that Jesus isn’t all that simple. His message, claims Wright, has been misunderstood because we do not think like first century Jews. That seems reasonable to me, but trying to think like a first century Jew hardly makes it “simple” to understand Jesus! Nor do I think Wright really wants it to be. Like a good scholar and teacher, he wants to stretch us and make us think. This book does that.
I liked this book, but I’m not sure many people ask the questions that Wright explores. I’ve yet to encounter anybody who asked, “So did Jesus really say he was the Son of God?” A lot of pastors might get that question, but it’s not exactly a hot topic at the local sports bar.
Of course, I shouldn’t complain because my own theology has been shaped by minds more brilliant than mine. I’m thankful for their diligence and their willingness to share wisdom beyond my own. So Wright’s writings are very important. It’s just that his thoughts are only going to influence a small group of people. Perhaps that small group will influence a much larger group, but Wright’s work itself is for a relatively small audience. Something tells me that such an audience will be at the event later this week.
If you are a pastor, a theologian, a well educated lay leader, a Darwinian critic of organized religion, an outspoken atheist, or some other type who needs to be in the conversation about who Jesus really was, then you’ll want to read this book. If you are none of those, but still have questions about Jesus, this is a great book to read. Just be aware that it is not theology 101 here; this is not “simple”. But it certainly is good.
