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The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative

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Written by a serious bible scholar, who has done his homework, this is a major new work on what the bible is all about. I have read plenty about bible studies and such (see my reviews), and I think this is truly a ground breaking book. Completely biblical, thoroughly thought out! A wealth of perspective!! Phenomenal! Get it, get it, get it!! A heavy weight exploration of what is going on in the bible and with God's plan of redemption as layed out throughout the bible. This is way way more than knowing if your invisible soul/spirit will go to heaven when you die. Here is just a tidbit of thinking typical of this book's train of thought:

The biblical scope of God's plan of redemption is cosmic in scope, the hope of biblical salvation is that there will be a new creation, a new heavens and a new earth made free from sin, decay, and death, and wherein God himself with dwell with his people. For instance see Romans 8:19-21 with 2 Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1-5. From this overarching theme of scripture flows the biblical ethic, purpose and mission.

This book's wide and complete scope of biblical teaching will have to be reckoned with by serious students of the bible and it's message of God's plan of redemption found in and through Jesus. The Publisher, Intervarsity Press has a website where you can look this book up and see the table of contents for it and some book description. Thanks Dr. Wright for the lifelong learning you have made available in this work. A sort of similar work, but on a smaller scale is: The Drama of Scripture by Craig Bartholomew. It is also extremely helpful for grasping what the bible is all about.

What is the Bible all about? Is it a random collection of writings about people who have experienced God? Is it one story about Israel and another somehow connected story about Jesus? In this masterful work, Christopher Wright sets out to demonstrate that the Bible, from start to finish, can be read as focusing on God's mission: in both the Old and New Testaments, God is on the move.

The depth of Wright's book is too much to summarize here, beyond surveying the ground he covers and discussing a few of the high points along the way. He begins by discussing hermeneutics, that is, how we read the Bible and what we see when we do, and the argument he makes there is that instead of mining the Bible for insights about "missions," we should instead look for God's mission that permeates the pages of the Bible. It's not about searching for texts that tell us to go to the nations, but instead about being attuned to what God is doing and finding our part in it.

To flesh out this them, and to demonstrate how it is one way of showing the unity of the Bible, Wright begins with God, looking at who God revels himself to be and what God reveals himself to be doing in the world. This involves especially the fundamental notion of God's uniqueness, the foundation of biblical monotheism. The second foundational idea about God is that God wants to be known by that which he has created. God has revealed himself in many and various ways. The final investigation Wright undertakes with regard to God's identity is an extended investigation into the theme of idolatry, a major theme especially of the Old Testament, where he demonstrates that the constant prohibitions of idolatry over and over show God's desire to be known and Israel's conviction (though often forgotten) that God is the only true God.

After establishing who God has revealed himself to be, Wright goes on in part 3, the most substantial part of the book, to look carefully at "The People of Mission." This begins with the programmatic and foundational text of God's covenant with Abraham, with special focus on God's commitment to bless Abraham and bless the world through him. This statement of God's intention really sums up what God is doing, and signals a major shift after the rather dismal happenings in Genesis 3-11. After humans have broken their relationship with God and utterly messed up God's good creation, God steps in on a mission, a mission of blessing. And the way God goes about it is through Abraham. God makes a particular choice, of Abraham and his descendants, but God is not playing favorites. Instead, God chooses the particular for the sake of the universal. Abraham is a man with a mission, he is a man whom God chooses to use to begin the reconciliation of the whole world. Wright investigates these themes, and especially the two poles of universal and particular, as he goes on to discuss election and the people of Israel as God's missional people. He then goes on to investigate God's redemption of his people, through the programmatic story of the exodus, and God's model for restoration, the Jubilee year. Wright then gives special attention to the covenants of God with his people, in Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the New Covenant, showing how they trace God's mission throughout Israel's formative statements. He then concludes his discussion of God's people with a look at the ethical implications of God's mission and election, with a discussion of the role of the law as the instrument of God's purposes and blessing in the world. Each of these topics could warrant a full discussion, and some of them will probably warrant revisiting, but, in short, Wright traverses the span of the Old Testament showing that God is up to something, and Israel is where it begins, but certainly not where it ends. Through it all, there is always at least an eye to the nations (God's eye, if not always Israel's).

In the final part of the book, Wright broadens his scope to what he calls the "arena" of God's mission. Where is this mission situated, and who is involved. He begins with the whole earth, with a sustained and insightful discussion about the care of the earth, integrating creational responsibility into missional activity. He steps into what is often a sensitive issue in many evangelical camps with a clear and balanced call to take note of God's whole creation, and to care for it as part of God's mission, all the while noting that this doesn't mean a divinization of that creation. Instead he shows how care of creation is a part of our mission, how it fits with the larger picture of what God is doing in the world, and how it embodies the mission we as God's people are supposed to have to the world. He then goes on to discuss humanity as the field of God's mission, beginning with a discussion of humanity in God's image, demonstrating that we have been made for relationship with God, and that is God's intention for all people. He concludes the chapter with an insightful look at the Wisdom literature of the Bible, investigating how it incorporates the "wisdom" of other cultures (always critically) and can demonstrate how to create an international or cross-cultural bridge in our proclamation of God's truth. He also has a very insightful and important excursus in the middle of this chapter on the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the mission of God's people in the world. It provides a clarion call to take note of opportunities to be part of what God is doing here on Earth and to note the opportunities to undertake God's work. Wright then concludes his discussion of the arenas of mission with a look at the "nations" in first the Old Testament and then in the New Testament. The Old Testament has a persistent eye on the nations, with Israel declared to be a nation of priests for God, but the fullness of God's plan for the full incorporation of the nations isn't fully made known until the New Testament, when this persistent vision of inclusion and universality is given God's means, in Jesus Christ. Finally, God's eschatological promises of the gathering of the nations, of the universality of God's blessing, are made known and are under way.

Christopher Wright's book, The Mission of God, is a spectacular work of theology. He achieves his goal of showing that God's mission is the underlying "grand narrative" of the Bible, from first chapter to last. Wright goes far beyond a "theology of mission" to demonstrate that "mission" itself is what God is all about, and it is God's mission that we need to take not of. Our "missions" are derivative and secondary, even as they are important.

Wright, as an Old Testament scholar, focuses especially on the Old Testament texts, but this is, I think, one of the greatest strengths of the book, for he demonstrates the broad sweep of who God is and what God is doing, painting a coherent and continuous picture from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. In fact, this book would be well used as an exercise in Old Testament Theology, as well as a book investigation the whole Bible, for he illumines most of the major themes of the Old Testament, creation, covenant, election, ethics and law, and fits them together into an elegant mosaic of God's purposes.

The Mission of God is technical at times, but still highly readable, and I recommend it enthusiastically. It helps bring to life the Old Testament, showing that it isn't just dusty literature with a few important prophecies, but that it is the very heart of God's revelation, brought to completion (not obscurity) in Jesus Christ. Wright does Christians a service, in showing what the Bible is all about, and I think he succeeds in showing that God is on a mission, and that this theme unifies the narrative of the Bible.

Excellent, although not for the casual reader. It is the best theology of holisitc mission I've read since the early 1990s when Bosch's "Transforming Mission" came out. Bosch, you will recall, worked almost exclusively from the New Testament. Wright rectifies this imbalance and puts the Great Commission in its place. This book is a valuable corrective also to contemporary presentations such as David Hesselgrave's "Paradigms in Conflict" which understand the Great Commission in the narrowist of terms.

I wish that I had had this book in hand many years ago. I've been on a journey of learning and discovery regarding the "metanarrative" of the Scriptures, and having reached a tentative understanding, I buy Christopher Wright's The Mission of God, and find that he has it all laid out for me. One of those books that makes you wonder why no one wrote it before and then makes you wish you had written it yourself. I have translated the New Testament into two indigenous languages of Mexico and have been forced to ask the big questions about what on earth God is doing anyway. It's been a great experience, and I think I'm finally coming to an adequate understanding of the good news of the Bible. I have read a lot of books related to the topic of The Mission of God, but none as exciting and stimulating as this one. And I don't consider Wright to be a great writer. What's great is the maturity and comprehensiveness of his thinking. A new perspective on almost every page. Wright has put it together for me. I'm reading it through the second time and have bought two copies to give to friends. All right, you may not be as excited as I am about the Bible's message about the coming of the kingdom of God, but if you are half as interested as I am, read this book.

Christopher Wright is an Old Testament scholar who has written this book to show that the Bible as a whole can be read with a missional hermeneutic. Wright clearly has a great Biblical mind and shows this by using at least one (usually several) passage to back all of his points. Wright prefaces the work by telling of a class he taught at Cambridge University saying: "the more I taught that course, the more I used to introduce it by telling my students that I would like to rename it from `The Biblical Basis of Mission' to `The Missional Basis of the Bible.' I wanted them to see not just that the Bible contains a number of texts, which happen to provide a rationale for missionary endeavor but that the whole Bible is itself a missional phenomenon (p.22). This statement sets the tone for the book and Wright takes off from there.
Throughout the book Wright discusses several topics that are crucial to understanding the Bible as having a missional mandate. Wright discusses how God sought to make him known to the people of Israel in the Old Testament and to the world through Jesus in the New Testament. God seeks to make himself known to all the nations of the world, as well as be worshiped by these nations. Wright goes on to discuss who the people of mission are and that all Christians are called to play a part in redeeming and restoring God's kingdom. The last part of the book is dedicated to what Wright entitles "The Arena of Mission" and deals with how God's image and missional mandate include taking care of the earth that God has given us.
Wright's abundant use of scripture gives his arguments and points of view very strong support and it is easy to see where his ideas are coming from. Although lengthy, Wright writes in such a way that is much easier to understand and digest than many other theology books. I find that Wrights take on balancing social action and evangelism to be a great strength in the book. Wright not only states that he believes a balance of these two aspects is necessary, he also goes on to show what happens if missions becomes too one sided in either direction. The only problem that I had was in the parts where he tries to flesh out meanings of Hebrew words and phrases. These descriptions were still interesting to me although I know nothing about the Hebrew language, but at times were too heavy to the average reader. This book does require basic knowledge of the Bible and is defiantly aimed for an audience of college level students interested in religion and especially missions. However, I think anyone involved with missions, interested in mission, or interested in theology can benefit from Christopher Wright.

This was such an excellent book. I picked it up at Urbana 2006 and read it that summer. I am working on going through my notes to teach a class on the subject of this book. I have recommended it to many people, but it is weighty. It is sad that so few people are familiar with Wright's work. He has done much in taking us back and grounding us in the story of the OT. For those interested, I highly recommend "Old Testament Ethic for the People of God." Again, weighty, but excellent.

This is certainly the most impressive book on Mission to be published since Bosch's 'Transforming Mission' and will surely be Dr Wright's 'Magnum Opus.' This outstanding tome entitled `The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative' contains 581 closely reasoned pages and maintains that equally, the `proper way for disciples of the crucified and risen Jesus to read their Scriptures , is (both) messianically and missionally. ( p.30)

It should be noted that most books on Mission fail to provide an adequate O.T. basis for mission. David Bosch for example in his excellent book `Transforming Mission' gives us little if any. In this book however, Wright ( also a noted OT scholar as well as Missiologist) goes a long way to rectify this imbalance.

'The Mission of God' is not a light read but should be of great interest to all missionaries and Pastors as well as to theology and Bible students. Chris Wright has also designated that the royalties from this book will go to the to worthy charity Langham Literature.

John Goldingay, the author of Old Testament Theology, and professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary writes of it:
"This marvelous book is all I hoped and expected, and more. . . .We are so fortunate to have the mature fruit of a lifetime's reflection on the missional nature of the Bible by this outstanding teacher, scholar and missionary theologian."

If you want an outstanding book on Mission which will be around for years to come: This is it!

When one first glances at this book, the first thought could be, "What in the world is an Old Testament scholar doing writing a book on mission?" In Christopher Wright's The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative, he brilliantly proves that the Bible should be read from cover to cover with "missional" lenses on. When thinking about missions, people usually turn to the New Testament, but Wright reveals that the mission of God is the same throughout the entire Bible. The ultimate goal is to reunite with what God's mission was, is, and will always be and unite that with human missions efforts. God's mission is to make himself known. This God is the God of grace seen through events like the Exodus but also the God of sovereignty who will bring judgment upon the wicked. Not only does God want to be known fully by his people, but he wants all of creation to know him. Wright believes that the Great Commission in the gospels is actually based on the one given to Abraham in the 12th chapter of Genesis. The command is to, "Go...and be a blessing." Here Abraham has to leave all that he has known in order for the second command to happen. Wright points out that the words of God to Abraham become God's mission for blessing the nations, and Abraham's response of faith and obedience become the response of God's people of mission. This mission was passed on to Israel, and although they may have lost sight of this at times, they still, "had a sense of stewardship of this knowledge since it was God's purpose that ultimately all nations would come to know the name, the glory, the salvation, and the mighty acts of YHWH and worship him alone as God" (92). Wright concludes just as the apostle Paul did, that "this dynamic narrative of God's saving purpose for all nations through Abraham - is the heart of the gospel as announced by the Scriptures. It will be through Jesus that God will be known to the nations. And in knowing Jesus, they will know the living God" (193, 253).

Christopher Wright connects the two testaments of the Bible with one thread, the mission of God, and gives his readers some new insights from his biblical knowledge, especially of the Old Testament but also keeps up with any New Testament scholar. This old, revered narrative is shed with new light by Wright and people can not only connect the Bible as a complete story, but have a sense of how they fit into the mission of God. My only hope is that Wright will follow this book up with more practical ways of sharing this freshly, illuminated good news and of living as stewards of the mission of God. I believe that this book was written for the church to grab hold of the gospel they have received, which is the Bible in light of Jesus Christ. It is also written to those who are ready to change the question of "Where does God fit into the story of my life?" to "Where does my little life fit into this great story of God's mission?" (534).

Christopher Wright is an esteemed Old Testament scholar, so it might come as a surprise to some that he chose to compose "The Mission of God," this massive work on the biblical and theological foundations for mission. Nevertheless this is what he does and he does it with admirable scholarship and incredible insight. The book targets a Christian evangelical audience, specifically those who would be pro-missions in the first place. His goal is to reshape the basic understanding of what mission is all about. Rather than understanding it merely as a component of what it is to be a Christian and to serve God, Wright presents mission as the central premise behind God's very character. He argues that God is missional, meaning that all of God's words and actions are garnered towards the specific purpose of fulfilling His mission. And God's mission is to make Himself known to His people, to each and every nation on the face of the earth.
Making use of the entire biblical canon, Wright attempts to tie together the Old and New Testaments showing a consistent theme of a missional God who is attempting to reveal Himself to His creation. Based on what the Bible tells us, God created mankind in His own image, as caretaker of His earthly creation. The relationship between man and God was broken during the fall and man's subsequent departure from obedience unto God. Therefore, in describing the Bible, Wright says that "in terms of the overall argument of this book, Genesis 3-11 sets the problem that the mission of God addresses from Genesis 12 to Revelation 22" (195/2). And thus goes Wright's understanding of the biblical narrative.
Naturally, having been written by an Old Testament scholar, one of the book's greatest strengths lies in its insights into how the OT functions within the larger biblical canon. It can sometimes be difficult to understand how the apparent exclusivism of Israel's election can relate to the all-inclusive universalism of the Great Commission, but Wright brings this out brilliantly. He simply has a way of making sense of the Bible as a whole, which is no easy task considering the diversity of its writings. As far as weaknesses go, one could argue that at some points Wright's interpretive lens inevitably falls into the category of works righteousness. It places a lot emphasis on human response and reaction to God's call, ultimately taking some credit away from God. However this is undoubtedly unintentional, and for the most part Wright does well in covering all his bases through sound interpretations and scholarship.
Obviously this book will be of significant interest to any biblical scholar or missionary, but I would also recommend this book to anyone who wishes to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the biblical narrative as a whole. Anyone who desires to spread the message of God's love and learn more about what God's will is for our lives will benefit and enjoy reading this book.

This is an analytical book review of Christopher Wright's The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative.

Rev. Dr. Christopher Wright's passion is bringing life to the "relevance of the Old Testament to Christian mission and ethics." In addition to his current role as the Director over Langham Partnership International after John Stott's death, he has experience as a High School teacher, theological professor, and as an ordained minister with the Anglican Church of England.

The Mission of God is a magnum opus describing the mission of God. In other words, the thesis of this book is not only that Christian mission is firmly grounded in Scripture, but also that Scripture is most accurately read through a hermeneutical framework that is centered on the mission of God (Wright 2006, 26). In other words, "God's mission is what fills the gap between the scattering of the nations in Genesis 11 and the healing of the nations in Revelation 22" (455).

Wright navigates readers through his comprehensive study of the mission of God by dividing his book into four parts: The Bible and Mission, The God of Mission, The People of Mission, and The Arena of Mission. In the first part, Wright describes what a missiological hermeneutic of the Bible entails. He argues that individuals need to understand the Bible's grand metanarrative, and also that the proper way to read the Bible is messianically and missionally (31). In the second part, Wright unpacks the identity, uniqueness, and universality of the God of Israel and Jesus Christ and the ensuing implications for mission (27). He finishes the section by paying attention to the opposition of the mission of God - idols and gods. In the third part, one discovers that the primary agent of the mission of God is the people of God. This is noticeable by examining the biblical covenants and the narrative of Scripture. Wright finishes his magnum opus by concentrating on the Arena of Mission - the earth, humans, and all culture and nations.

There have only been a few books that I have read and come away with a sense of awe, humility, and a passion to reread it and act on what I have read - The Mission of God is the most recent.


It was difficult to read this book in a continuous manner because I had to periodically stop and consider the ways he was challenging my view of Scripture, faith, and how I am leading and teaching people. His treatment on worldviews and the narcissism pervading Western culture and Western Christianity had the greatest impact on me. So often have I tried to put God into my own life and goals, when I should really be considering where my minute life fits into the grand story of God's mission (533-534). As a result, the question is not, where is the greatest need for the gospel and how can my gifts and talents serve to advance the gospel and make the gospel relevant to this world, but it is about realizing, first of all, that God is already on mission and that he is graciously allowing me to be his "co-worker" (1 Cor 3:9). Secondly, I need to realize that the only reason I have my gifts and talents are because God gave them to me in order to participate in his mission, they are not for my own use, or to build up my own name. Thus, in humility, I need to understand that there is nothing that I can do to make the gospel relevant to the world because, in reality, God is "transforming the world to fit the shape of the gospel" (534). In other words, once I begin to understand that I am a part of the grand metanarrative of the mission of God, my life ceases to be about "what kind of mission God has for me," and begins to be all about "what kind of me God wants for his mission" (534). This changes everything. As a result, when I examine new methods to engage people in community, or pray about what to teach those I am leading, or where I should lead them, the question is not about whether these things will fit into my church's mission. Instead, the question is, are these things going to develop my church into the kind of church God expects for his mission (534)?

So all in all, I give this book a 5 out of 5.