Jesus and the Victory of God
By N.T. Wright
SPCK. 741 pages. £30.00
ISBN 0 281 04717 0
This is the second volume of a multi-volume project, Christian origins and the question of God, by the highly distinguished NT scholar, Dr. Tom Wright, Dean of Lichfield. Those who read his first volume, The New Testament and the people of God, will have been eagerly expecting this second one. They will not be disappointed!
Here is a breathtaking survey and evaluation of the major scholarly contributions to the so-called 'quest' for the historical Jesus. It is a compelling development by a true historian of his own view of Jesus' mission, a view which sets Jesus firmly in his first century Jewish context (from which both evangelicals and liberals have too readily lifted him) and yet distinguishes him from it (as a true subversive); a view which links Jesus with the early church and yet sets him apart from it. Double similarity and double dissimilarity - indicators of historical authenticity - is the motif which runs through this treatise.
Dr. Wright begins by analysing more modern contributions in terms of the two main early 20th century approaches to Jesus - that of the thorough-going scepticism of William Wrede and, on the other hand, that of Albert Schweizer, which set Jesus in the context of apocalyptic Judaism. In the first category, he places scholars such as Bultman and, more contemporarily, members of the 'Jesus Seminar' founded by Robert Funk in North America in 1985, such as Burton Mack and Dominic Crossan. This latter group seek to categorise the likely authenticity of Jesus' sayings in the Gospels and tend to see Jesus in terms of a teacher of timeless truths, such as a Cynic philosopher. In the second category, he places scholars such as E.P. Sanders (author of important works about first-century Judaism and its relation to the Christian faith) and A.E. Horsley. He himself identifies most closely with this group, as part of the so-called 'Third Quest' which sees Jewish eschatology (perspectives on 'the end times') as the starting point for understanding Jesus. In fact, Wright defines such eschatology, with its apocalyptic language, in terms of the climax of Israel's own history rather than the so-called 'end of the world'.
The author sees Jesus as a prophet standing in Israel's long prophetic tradition, a fact reflected not only in words but in praxis (or actions) and symbols. As such, he was not just a teacher of timeless truths but an announcer of the kingdom - Israel's God was at last becoming king. This implied the return from exile (where, in real terms, Israel still was), the radical defeat of evil and Yahweh's return to Zion. Subversively, all this was taking place in Jesus' own ministry, and even death and vindication. He thus called his followers to a new way of being Israel, at the same time, announcing judgment on the Israel of his day which had abandoned its calling to be a light to the nations in favour of nationalistic preoccupation. Tantalisingly, without making any trinitarian statement, Wright climaxes by speaking of Jesus as conscious of a vocation: 'A vocation, given him by one he knew as 'father', to enact in himself what, in Israel's scriptures, God had promised to accomplish all by himself' (p.653).
There are many striking aspects to this profound work: his insights into the parables as the focal point of Jesus' subversive storytelling (here he makes full use of the excellent work of Kenneth Bailey), his exposition of Mark 13 and parallels as totally fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD (partially anticipated in evangelical circles by Marcellus Kik's book on Matthew 24), and his argument that Jesus' 'cleansing of the Temple' was, in fact, an acted parable of judgment anticipating that very event.
Conservative evangelicals will be troubled by the seemingly tentative statements of Wright concerning the authenticity of certain parts of the gospels. However, it must be remembered that he is interacting with 'liberal' theologians on their own terms. I did not observe one ultimate denial of either a saying or action of Jesus. It may also be felt that the author's conclusions (e.g. about the parable of the sower) are sometimes somewhat speculative (but perhaps some of us have killed creative interpretation by a ruthless Aristotelian logic!). We might, finally, have hoped for a sharper critique of Sander's apparent vindication of the Pharisees from the charge of legalism (or, at least, merit theology. See D.A. Carson, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (1981), pp. 84-95).
However instead of seeking to highlight the 'errors' (to quote a recent reviewer) of the Dean of Lichfield, perhaps it is high time we took on board the challenges he brings us.
This is not an easy book to read, though superbly written. But, by the end of it, this reviewer felt that he had encountered a Jesus more truly historical and more truly authentic - a Jesus who, by his very placement in his Jewish context, challenges us more sharply in our own. Is there still an incipient docetism (a denial of the real humanity of Jesus) among us? Do we so read the Gospels through the eyes of an abstract atonement theology that we fail to see the significance of Jesus' life and ministry? This is the challenge of this book. Please Dr. Wright, give us more!
Robin Dowling
Thamesmead
Home
Archives
Subscriptions
Adverts
Find a church
About us
Contact us
Site Map
Printable