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The Last Word

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Don't be misled by brevity: the breadth and significance of the content is enormous. Without pretending to detailed solutions, Wright provides a compelling and inspiring vision of what it means for scripture to be authoritative in the lives of individuals, in the life of the church, and in the world. Throughout, Wright emphasizes scripture as a means for God to act in and through us to renew the whole world.

Wright's emphasis on the broad Christian narrative that describes our past and present and provides the focus for our future, is an enormously refreshing counterpoint to the Cuisinart approach to biblical scholarship, which focuses instead on fragmented details of scripture at the expense of broader understanding.

Precisely because it provides a broad historical perspective, the book clarifies how the issues we currently grapple with arose, so that we readers better understand the often hidden presuppositions in most current writings concerning scriptural authority. We ignore intellectual history at our peril, and Wright here provides a brief but accurate guide to what we need to know.

In the course of this ambitious work, Wright provides some enormously helpful and compelling distinctions about the relative roles and importance of scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. These distinctions alone are worth the price of the book, for readers who take his distinctions seriously will no longer be prisoners of the ad hominem slogans that currently dominate Christian debate over the role and authority of scripture.

Although it has some references to scholarly work, this book directly addresses a non-scholarly audience that seeks to better understand the authority of scripture at a time when virtually anything that claims to have authority is under attack by contemporary scholars. Moreover, he offers albeit briefly, some very practical recommendations. Wright is refreshingly frank about the confusions that afflict Christians, about the ways in which fundamentalists and modernists both ignore important characteristics of scripture and its interpretation, about failure of Christian leaders to focus on leading the Church through inspired preaching of scripture, and about the ways in which both conservative and liberal theological groups have essentially been captured by presuppositions that are unwittingly based on the anti-Christian Enlightenment agenda. This book is far too brief to definitively argue all of its crucial assertions. But it is nonetheless a tremendous guide to the issues at stake (which, like icebergs, are often predominantly hidden from view) for the church and for individuals in taking scripture seriously.

If you are prepared to be challenged to think seriously and perhaps differently about basic issues that concern not just the church, but your own role in the evolution of the relationship between God and the world, then read this book.

First of all, the other books I have read by Wright: The Meaning of Jesus (Essays with M. Borg); the first two volumes on the NT (I'm almost done with the 3rd). So, I'm no Wright expert, but this isn't my first book, at least.

Wright rightly claims this book as more of a tract (it is easily readable in an uninterrupted morning). The benefit of this is that it will be a farily accesssible introduction to the uninitiated. However, it runs the risk of being misinterpreted as a simplistic treatment--this would be a serious misreading (Wright offers his own disclaimers)--this book is meant to introduce and frame the question: what is the role of the Bible for the Christian church today? (In answering that question, he necessarily must address the issue of "authority".) This book is meant to draw one in to the dialogue--not give them an easy ticket out.

Having said this, I think that some readers will feel that Wright still assumes too much on the part of the "lay" reader. He does a wonderful job of summarizing the role of the Bible throughout history, as well as discussing various historical movements, perspectives, etc. that have debated and influenced Christianity's views of the Bible, but, in doing so, he sails through terms and concepts (metanarratives, modernism, postmodernism, Enlightenment) and events (Lisbon earthquake--if I wasn't already aware of the significance of this event, I would have no idea what he meant) that assume prior knowledge.

It's not that Wright doesn't define these items, but the challenge is that the uninformed reader does not have the chance to "live" in these concepts and get comfortable with them. The nature of the text is too compressed. This is not a weakness with Wright's book; it is a caveat that some will need to get off the couch and pull out the dictionary (or at least Google-it from their wireless laptop).

Anyway, Wright's writing is typically Wright-esque: lucid, erudite, pithy, and chocked full with his cogent analogies. It is rare (and *wonderful*) to find a modern writer who can spin an almost paragraph long sentence like Wright does(p. 62 has a particularly good one). Again, someone not familiar with Wright's writing (or scholarly writing in general) might find it challenging, but, all the better--you're hopefully reading this book to be challenged. The payoff is excellent.

On the actual content:

1) This book is based, in part, on an article he wrote years ago. To read it, go to ntwrightpage.com.
2) His goal is threefold: present a brief history of the scriptures (Old and New T.'s) in their own time and subsequently; clear the decks of some of the most common and egregious mis-readings; propose a model to properly read the Bible and have it function in the church today.

Other reviews will spill more of the beans. I'll just end with this: if you are looking for a concise, academic, well-written, balanced discussion of how one can define "authority" and the "role" of the Bible in the modern church and a Christian's life, then this book is an excellent place to *start*.

Finding a good answer depends on asking a good question--Wright helps one ask a good question.

I read this book in its British "dress" titled "Scripture and the Authority of God" in the summer of 2005, beause I couldn't wait for its publication in the states. I'm glad I did. Since many Americans were not even aware of this British version until it appeared in the states right before ETS and SBL last November, I am copying my review of the British book, with a few additions, as it was posted last August.

Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! I simply cannot say enough about this little gem from the pen of one of the leading evangelical scholars in the world. I understand that this book will come out in the states this Fall under a different title. I couldn't wait and ordered it from the UK. Am I glad I did! It displays the reasons why I am so impressed by the writings of this great man of God. The book, which is about the authority of Scripture, is really a suitable introduction to the entire approach of Tom Wright to the Bible. In marvellously compact language this master teacher guides the reader through a tour of Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments. Wright indicates his mastery of the literature to those who read him closely. Yet he carries lightly his learning for the average reader. The little volume is really a tightly written introduction to Scriptural hermeneutics, inspiration, authority, the relation of the OT to the NT, and the relation of the Bible to culture. Wright has his critics, and there will inevitably be the gainsayers who quibble about this or that point - some of which I might even agree with! But as an overall introduction to the Bible, this could become a light classic. (I just adopted it as one text in a graduate Hermeneutics course I will teach).

Oh, by the way, at SBL I heard Tom say that he didn't like the title that the American publisher gave to it. He said that in light of Hebrews 1, Jesus is really "The Last Word."

The rabbis use to say of the Torah written and oral, "turn it over and turn it over, for everything is in it." While that of course is an exagerration if applied to this little book, it may not be far from an accurate description of its impact on the reader. Buy it. Buy multiple copies and give them away. I will.

Now I can hardly wait to get my hands on "Simply Christian."

Anglican bishop N.T. Wright is something of a "rock star" in the rarified realm of modern Christian theology. In this short book he attempts to answer the question:

"What authority should we assign to Scripture and how should that authority affect our lives as Christians today?"

The really tough part is answering that question in full view of the scientific revolution and rise of (deeply cynical) post-Modernism. Those powerful intellectual currents have poured over our world like a giant tsunami, ripping apart much of the simplistic thinking that passes for popular theology today. So how do we reconcile our world with the unique circumstances and role of Scripture, most of which was written thousands of years ago?

Wright suggests that Scripture is a living, breathing presence in our lives that must be encountered and re-read and re-examined by all Christians on a regular basis, be they conservative, liberal or something in-between. Wrestle with it! Challenge yourself and others -- even your clergy. Get in arguments and struggle for validation. Meditate, pray and ask God for greater insight.

We are, he says, the next act of a great drama that began with Genesis and continues right now in our very lives, both as individuals and as communities of faith. The Bible, Wright insists, must always be read in the context in which it was written -- not disembodied to fit some convenient purpose or ideology. In other words, don't let someone snap a verse here or citation there to "prove" God's intentions.

Years ago, while working in a very conservative town in the Midwest, I overheard a young executive complaining that the TV networks always seemed to air Cecil B. DeMille's movie "The Ten Commandments" during Easter week. "What does the Exodus story have to do with Easter?" he exclaimed. "I can't see any connection there. I guess it's just some kind of Jewish thing."

Wow! It's amazing what that statement says about our collective ignorance and our failure to educate each other in Christian history. N.T. Wright's little book is definitely a step in the right direction.

Final note: Wright's narrative style is sometimes convoluted and difficult. If you have trouble with his style, skip directly to the last chapter where he outlines the core of his argument.

Subtitled Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture, this book guides us on a journey of understanding the authority of Scripture in the lives of Israel, Jesus, the Apostolic Church, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment. It culminates with how we understand (and misunderstand) Scripture in this postmodern era into which we are emerging.

Although the book is small - 146 pages - it is profound. I could feel my mind expanding as I read through it. Dr. Tom Wright, Anglican Bishop of Durham, is perhaps the foremost theologian of our time. Don't let that put you off, though. This book is not written for theologians alone. There is little technical jargon. It is easy to understand, but a challenge nonetheless. The challenge is in going beyond the two sided modernist coin (fundamentalism on one side, liberalism on the other) to find a fully balanced, fully living Word. It is a Word of uncompromising authority in our individual and corporate lives.

Scripture is the revelation of God. It is the story within which each of us are actors. And that story is the story of creation, Christ, the confrontation and defeat of evil, the kingdom of God, and a new creation. The Bible is more than just a record, it is a living Word. It is an ongoing and continually fulfilling Word. The story carries power. It isn't just information, but rather a sovereign summons to each of us to take our place in the Kingdom's manifestation in the world.

The Last Word is not meant to be comprehensive, but it is a welcome addition to the ongoing search for understanding.

Dr. Mike Kear

Tom Wright wrote an article "How can the bible be authoritative" for Vox Evangelica in 1991. This book flushes out the themes in more detail and provides some more historial context. The title might be a bit misleading since a "new understanding" could mean recovering an older understanding. My perspective is that the title is not as alarming as it sounds. What I have always appreciated about Tom Wright is that he is able defend his orthodox christian views using rigorous academic methods. Sure, he is often critized by both sides. So the conservative christians accuse him of not being fully orthodox, while the academics accuse him of compromising his rigor due to his personal faith. Regardless of one's theology position, this book should be a worthwhile read. A more detailed treatment is contained in "NT and the people of god". It is only in my second reading that I am appreciating and starting to understand the book. So for those of you who would like more depth, I would recommend "NT and the people of god". If you are interested in the subject of the authority of scripture, you might also be interested in reading more on narrative theology and the emerging/emergent church movement.

Happy reading.

In this volume, N.T. Wright's two anchoring themes are (1) the authority of Christian canon, i.e., as a standard measure, and (2) the imperfection of our understanding of the canon, i.e., the importance of humility in cooperating with scripture's philology in finding its intent. Knowledge of scripture is, in many instances, permanently tentative (as is scientific knowledge) and proceeds along lines that are better recognized as being iterative and partial than immediate or whole. Christian humility and 'teachability' demands as much, as do the ubiquitous exegetical disputes and the inherent subtleties and mysteries of ancient texts whose impulsion was 'beyond' its human penmen. To paraphrase this view in my own clumsy way - "stop pretending you've got it all figured out and start studying so as to be taught, instead of 'studying' to support your delusions of final insights." With apologies to Wright for my paraphrase, I heartily agree with him. It's a bit interesting that Wright chose the title that he did; by it he can only mean that "the Last Word" is the final import of scripture, not that he, or anyone else, can provide a final interpretation or exposition of the Last Word.

Wright on the relationship of Christian scripture and Christian tradition: "The challenge of living with tradition is not so much, as in official Roman Catholic understandings, that one should let tradition and scripture flow together straightforwardly into a single stream, but that tradition should be allowed to be itself; that is, the living voice of the very human church as it struggles with scripture, sometimes misunderstanding it and sometimes gloriously getting it right. That is why the challenge comes fresh to each generation. Traditions tell us where we have come from. Scripture itself is a better guide as to where we should now be going." p 119

It is true that some of Wright's work is a kind of flash-point in some scholarly circles, Christian and otherwise -- too orthodox for some, too liberal for others, not Calvinist enough for the heavy-handed determinists, not Roman enough for the 'one true church' audience, and so forth. But all of this speaks to the level-headed carefulness of his theology and biblical scholarship. If, on some point(s) you find that you disagree with Wright, I hope that you can do so with the intellectual openness and spiritual humility that characterize this author; if you are a Bible-thumping know-it-all, then you need this book more than most of us do. Thank God for N.T. Wright.

This is N.T. Wright at his brilliant, sensible best. His perspective may be old-hat to some, but to an "evang-amentalist" like me, this book adds a whole dimension of truth and light to the place and power of the Scripture. Wright covers the subject matter without tearing the fabric of sound doctrine, nor leaving stretch-marks on common sense. As usual, "Beyond the Bible Wars" overflows with faith without parching the intellect.

There are many great reader reviews of N.T. Wright's "The Last Word" and I won't repeat what's been covered so well by other reviewers -- but here's another perspective that I think you may find helpful.

Over the years, I've worked with many small groups, classes, workshops and seminars -- and the trickiest issue for most participants to grasp in Bible-study sessions is an articulate understanding of how "we" as Christians regard the sacred nature of scriptures.

The truth is that "we" hold a diverse array of views, like it or not. I've worked with groups where some folks doubt everything in the Bible -- and regard the book as literature -- and groups where some folks believe the world was created in six 24-hour days.

The very best groups make room for a whole range of viewpoints -- as we all wrestle together over what scripture means for us -- and that's where this particular N.T. Wright book is so valuable. There are lots of popular books by skeptical scholars who re-interpret biblical narratives in more contemporary ways -- and there are many books available from evangelical publishing houses that take the 180-degree opposite approach.

What Wright has given us in "The Last Word" is a solid, mainline, "orthodox" approach to scriptures. Wright takes a fairly traditional view of the authority and reliability and the meaning of truth in scriptures. However, he doesn't read scriptures literally. He's not interested in fighting on either side of the biblical barricades. Instead, he's offering us all an eloquent defense of "orthodox" approaches to scripture -- in a form that any adult can read quickly and understand clearly.

That's why this book is a terrific gift to our small groups. You could build a class around this book itself -- or you could encourage someone in your small group to pass around a copy, over time, and enjoy hearing this viewpoint clearly voiced.

There are lots of great Wright books on narrower topics. And Wright himself actually encourages vigorous discussion among many points of view. His book with Marcus Borg on various interpretations of Jesus is another classic that's great for groups.

But right here, in one volume, there's the big picture of how Wright -- and millions of "orthodox" Christians -- see the Bible itself.

I am conservative, Reformed, and Evangelical in my theological and spiritual underpinnings. Anytime I agree with Brian McLaren then it is a bit unusual at best. But he and I both agree that this is a very useful, informative and challenging book. Although I wonder if McLaren really paid attention to what Wright says.

In this book Wright challenges the church to a return to the Lord's authority working through scriptures as the pathway to revitalization and empowerment. He calls for a balanced perspective which understands "tradition" (present in every communion) as the Church's dialogue with scripture over the years but which, as dialog, is to be respected, understood and continued, but not to the extent of blinding us to where tradition itself needs critiquing and perhaps augmentation.

He calls for a living, re-orientation to Scripture as THE means by which the Lord authoritatively directs His church through the ages, including this one. In doing so he directs us away from a modern & post-modern tendency to reduce scripture to a "back ground buzz which we use to give a spiritual flavor and "baptism" to our own cherished ideas about how the God's business is to be accomplished. He actually calls for Bishops (my tradition doesn't have those) to get back to the primary business of actually teaching scripture and relegating other "bureaucratic" tasks to secondary or less status. I found this willingness to critique his own peers very refreshing.

Wright makes a major contribution in reminding us that we need to be governed by an historical perspective (time and place) in our own self-understanding of the Church, its place in the "story" of God's saving work in the world. He, like most who push this emphasis, falls a bit short on communicating exactly how this understanding is to avoid an essential relativism between the ethics of the various phases of this meta-narrative. In this book he is better than most in that regard.

This book is well worth reading. For those new to Wright it is a good intro to his thinking. To those of us who have read his other works, this book is a good refresher and in many ways, a clarifying over-view of some of his more important thought.