I have my own list of greatest New Testament scholars. If you are into New Testament studies, in-depth, then you are not surprised that N. T. Wright is on my list.
I just finished 45 days of 1-2 hour teaching presentations. Twenty of them. Fourteen of which were at two theological seminaries. It's time for a break!
I am today beginning an N. T. Wright - kind - of - month. I'm settling in with three Wright books.
The first is The Lord and His Prayer. He writes:
"The more I have studied Jesus in his historical setting, the more it has become clear to me that this prayer sums up fully and accurately, albeit in a very condensed fashion, the way in which he read and responded to the signs of the times, the way in which he understood his own vocation and mission and invited his followers to share it. This prayer, then, serves as a lens through which to see Jesus himself, and to discover something of what he was about."
The second is Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church. This comes in the wake of finishing teaching my "Heaven, the Soul, and the Afterlife" course for Faith Bible Seminary in NYC. Plus, I'll be speaking on the t4heme of hope in NYC this coming January.
The third Wright book (with co-author Michael Bird) is The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians. This book functions as a resource book for me. It... is... amazing... brilliant... and its physical presentation is weighty... and beautiful. (Purchase the hard cover. When it arrives, you will see why.)
One more book. I just purchased this, to read to my grandchildren this Christmas.
Blessings!
JP
