In his new book, "Simply Jesus," renowned New Testament scholar, N.T. Wright takes dead aim at post-Enlightenment dualism, which keeps religion and public life in their separate spheres. He argues in his latest publication from HarperOne, that the core of Jesus' life and teaching is decidedly political -- that is, God is actively involved in the real, here-and-now world. Wright summarizes this in his articulation of Jesus' message: God is in charge now! God is becoming King!
It isn't new information that sets this book apart from Wright's earlier writing, especially The Challenge of Jesus (1999, IVP). It is rather a kind of clarity that comes through in the intensity with which Wright makes his point. In the 12 years between "The Challenge of Jesus" and "Simply Jesus," Wright served local churches as Bishop of Durham in the Church of England. That time spent working with, as he put it, "ordinary church communities," in a very impoverished area of the country has made him return to this subject with a new perspective.
"One of the things which is most clear to me [right now] is the close integration between Jesus preaching of the Kingdom and Jesus himself as the surprising, shocking presence of the living God amongst his people," Wright told me in a recent conversation. It is this sharp clarity about who Jesus was that sets this book apart. It is not a cool reflection from an academic who has thought about these issues in a stuffy university for the last several decades, but a passionate appeal from someone who has spent time with both the texts of the Christian scripture and ordinary people who are struggling to follow Jesus.
His personal conviction gives this book its energy, but it also makes it somewhat unnerving. What does it mean to take this Jesus seriously? Wright admits in the opening chapter of his book that "Jesus -- the Jesus we might discover if we really looked! -- is larger, more disturbing, more urgent than we -- than the church! -- has ever imagined.... We have been asking the wrong questions. We have reduced the kingdom of God to private piety, the victory of the cross to comfort for the conscience, and Easter itself to a happy, escapist ending after a sad, dark tale" (4-5).
Judging from the religious landscape in the West at least, Christians would rather have a tame Jesus who doesn't meddle with their lives; doesn't require them to change their political affiliations or ethical standards.
"By all means, people think, let Jesus be a soul doctor, making people feel better inside. Let him be a rescuer, snatching people away from this world to 'heaven.' But don't let him tell us about a God who actually does things in the world. We might have to take that God seriously, just when we're discovering how to run the world our own way" (54-55).
Religion has often been a poor reflection of a God of love. Yet, if Christians are to take Jesus' message seriously, they must dig deeper. What kind of King does Jesus paint God to be? How does God intend to reign? What kind of government and economics has God articulated in history? And most importantly, as Wright addresses in his lengthy final chapter, how can the church begin to live out of this reality of God's reign now? We can only hope that Wright will continue to address these questions in his next book, How God Became King: The Forgotten Story of the Gospels, due out in March from HarperOne.
Ultimately, the proof of God's goodness as King is in the manifestation of that reign in and through those who claim to be God's followers. Perhaps what is true is not that God's government has been tried and found wanting but rather that is has been ignored, or reduced to personal, internal "spirituality" and thus left untried.
For my complete interview with Tom Wright, visit The Hillhurst Review.
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The Hebrews had a polytheistic religion with their own tribal god. The Persians came up with the world's first monotheistic religion, Zoroastrianism (Zarthushti). The Babylonians captured the Hebrew ruling classes and took them in exile to Babylon.
The Persian King of Kings Cyrus the great (the only person mentioned in the Bible as the Messiah - the anointed of God) freed the Hebrews from captivity. The Hebrews then developed Judaism, a monotheistic religion borrowing a lot from the Persians including the idea of King of Kings (with a huge amount of Oriental despotism thrown in).
That's hoe the idea of god as a king came about.
The conceit that the Jews borrowed from the Babylonians or Persians is perhaps inevitable, but doesn't square very well with books whose dating is more certain (e.g. Ezra/Nehemiah, Malachi, Zechariah) and tend to be very anti-Persian in their polemic.
Other scholars contend that the development of a strict monotheism was the result of cultural diffusion between Persians and Hebrews. While (in practice) dualistic, Zoroastrianism believed in escathological monotheism. Some[who?] suggest that it is not merely coincidence that the Zoroastrianism's model of escathological monotheism and the Deuteronomic historians strictly monotheistic model receive formative articulations during the period after Persia overthrew Babylon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_Judaism
There are other theories as well in the same article. I was giving one. As far as early versions of the Hebrew religion (I separate it from Judaism which is the written version and comes about after 700-500 BCE) were polytheistic local religion. Elohim which created the world in six days is a plural word meaning gods.
- Jesus was a carpenter, not a painter. Give me a break.
"How does God intend to reign? What kind of government and economics has God articulated in history? And most importantly, as Wright addresses in his lengthy final chapter, how can the church begin to live out of this reality of God's reign now?
Second, God's kingdom rule, with Christ as the designated king of the kingdom, would be a wonderful ruler. He knows what it is like to be human and to suffer, since he was made human and suffered greatly. He had the capacity, through the holy spirit given to him by his Father, to cure illnesses, raise the dead, help the blind to see, the deaf to hear, another words to undue all the wrongs that imperfection brought into our lives as the result of human imperfection. He is called the prince of peace and his rule will not be passed on to anyone else. Mankind has a ruler, president king, so forth for a short time, then replaced, God has a king that, was not self appointed but chosen by God and will never be replaced.
The mere fact that this world is riddled with death, sorrow and pain and a host of many other things is proof that God is not reigning. Death, sorrow and pain are all things that are not associated with the rule of God’s kingdom.
Jesus’ ministry was never political and he resisted every effort to be involved in politics from either a demonic or human level.
What is true is that God’s earthly kingdom is incoming with his Son designated as king. It is also true that what happens either in the religious, commercial or political sectors of this world is fulfilling the prophecies that God has given that signals its demise and the full installation of Jesus as King of God’s Kingdom. This kingdom is a real one not something intangible.
As the good pastor wrote: "Ultimately, the proof of God's goodness as King is in the manifestation of that reign in and through those who claim to be God's followers."
And I believe in the New Testament is written, "By their fruits they shall be known."
our political king image is supposed to be our president. has not worked out so well.
the idea of a king god even an infinite god separate from "his" creation is an interesting aspect of the human mind. every christian I have ever talked to believes they know the definition of infinite but yet they worship an infinite god which is separate from them.
we humans are outside of infinite with no boundaries?
I'm shocked that one writing books and articles on Jesus and the Bible never read Lk.1:32, stating that Jesus would inherit the throne of David (earthly kingdom). I'm shocked that the author hadn't read Rev.21:3, which states "The tabernacle of God is with men." I;m shocked that the author never considered the Lord's Prayer, in which we pray "thy kingdom come.;"
I'm more shocked that one who has apparently read so little of the Bible would make this feeble attempt to suggest that he is telling something new. And moreso, tries to be an authority on the subject.
On the matter of politics: there will be no elections in the world to come, no lobbying or pandering: politics free.
1797 explicitly states the US is in now way a Christian foundation and that there for we have no problem with those of the "Musselman" faith. I'd like to know how that doesn't say what it says. John Adams signed it into Law.
2) Now take out a 1$ Bill and read "annuit coeptis". Then pray-to JUPITER! Because it is a prayer to Jupiter from PAGAN Virgil. Then thank the GOD(S) for our Greco-Roman Heritage!
3) Bear in mind that the FOUNDERS were DEISTS, like Thomas Paine, who despised Christianity
or Jefferson, who thought Jesus was ONLY a Moral teacher and NOT THE INCARNATION. THAT was a superstition. There are many more examples.
As believers, we believe that Gods Kingdom has indeed begun, that those who swear their allegiance to Jesus are called to bring the Kingdom to earth by helping the poor, the needy, and loving the world. Our "end times" is when everything is finally restored and Jesus is King.
Putting one's faith in Jesus is like putting one's faith in "Chauncey Gardner"...