The Last Word by N.T. Wright

by N.T. Wright

Lively & topical overview of the issues involved when the authority of scripture is cited or called into question An account of how the church does, and should, understand the authority of scripture - how do we read the Bible, how does our understanding change over time, who has power to change or challenge what the church believes, how do we balance the claims of the Bible against those of Christian tradition and of personal discernment? This is particularly topical at the moment especially when questions of authority and schism are live issues.

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Christian, Religion, Christianity, Biblical Studies, Faith

Hardcover

First published December 1, 2005

About the author

N. T. Wright is the former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England (2003-2010) and one of the world's leading Bible scholars. He is now serving as the chair of New Testament and Early Christianity at the School of Divinity at the University of St. Andrews. He has been featured on ABC News, Dateline NBC, The Colbert Report, and Fresh Air, and he has taught New Testament studies at Cambridge, McGill, and Oxford universities. Wright is the award-winning author of Surprised by Hope, Simply Christian, The Last Word, The Challenge of Jesus, The Meaning of Jesus (coauthored with Marcus Borg), as well as the much heralded series Christian Origins and the Question of God.

He also publishes under Tom Wright.

Reviews

[Jared Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wright unpacks the term “authority of scripture” in a brief and scopic manner. I found it to be a refreshing alternative to the doctrine of an “inerrant, infallible, verbal, plenary Bible.” He makes the clarification that “the authority of scripture” in its full sense means “the authority of God manifested through scripture.” This idea empowers Christians to implement a more honest means of attaining true knowledge and ethics- a synthesis of scripture, reason, and tradition.
While this idea wasn’t new for me, his distinguishing of these three elements as different kinds of things was new and insightful. One of my takeaway quotes: “scripture is the bookshelf, tradition is the memory of what people in the house have read and understood (or perhaps misunderstood) from the shelf, and reason is the set of spectacles that people wear in order to make sense of what they read.”

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of N.T Wright, so I may be a bit biased. This book rails against the shallow debate that starts with [INSERT BIBLE VERSE] clearly forbids [TOPIC] and ends with either a reply that someone is misreading the verse or with a reply that Leviticus outlaws shellfish so clearly the Bible is outdated and cannot be referenced with any seriousness. He does assume that the reader is a Christian. He also is not dealing with issues of divine inspiration, authority of the Holy Spirit, or with issues related to authorship, translation, or canonization. This book is simply looking at, if you define yourself as a Christian, how do you read the Bible and answer possibly contentious questions.

He looks at 3 main questions (quoted from N.T. Wright):
1. In what sense is the Bible authoritative in the first place?
2. How can the Bible be appropriately understood and interpreted?
3. How can its authority, assuming such appropriate interpretation, be brought to bear on the church itself, let alone on the world?

He packs a ton of information into this short book, with (for the most part) clear language, abundant examples, and well-thought out explanations. He gives a lot of background and historical information, along with actionable items. He provides two case studies, which are fantastic. My only issue was with chapter 6, which seemed hurried and antagonistic. This might be my own lacking knowledge on the Enlightenment, Modernism, and Post-Modernism, but I wasn't really sure what I was supposed to get out of that chapter. The rest of the book was great (that chapter may be too - I think I just didn't have enough background information to see where he was going with it).

[W. Littlejohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to find anything to disagree with in this book--and that is intended as both a compliment and as, I suppose, a complaint.

The book is quite concise and basic, like several of Wright's more popular-level works (a similar sort of work, for instance, is his Evil and the Justice of God). Of course, being by Wright, concise and basic doesn't mean shallow and simplistic. You can tell this is just the tip of an iceberg, with Wright's enormous erudition and theological imagination lying underneath it, so that you feel like what you're being given is in fact substantial and significant, and not just trite truisms. And, as far as it goes, it's pretty spot-on in everything it says; he handles this controversial subject resolutely yet sensitively, and what he comes down with is, as I said, pretty hard to disagree with at any point.

On the other hand, on a subject like this, laced about with many burning questions about inspiration, inerrancy, the relation of human and divine authorship, how we are to discern the various literary genres in Scripture and the history of the texts, etc., it is a bit frustrating to read through 150 or so pages and find nothing to disagree with. One wishes that he had ventured into some of these discussions and staked out positions on some of the thornier questions, thus provoking at worst a very healthy and fruitful disagreement. I'm finding it necessary to get a much clearer handle on the conservative doctrine of inerrancy and its critics, and so I hoped this book might provide an interesting angle. But although it provided a useful framework to approach such questions, it didn't come close to addressing them.

In short, then, this book serves excellently as a sort of Mere Christianity's Doctrine of Scripture--here's what every Christian who wants to take the Bible seriously ought to be able to affirm, and how they ought to contextualize that confidence in the Bible's authority. As a starting point to establish a point of unity among rival factions, then, this is great. But a guide to resolving the disputes between those factions, it most certainly is not.

[Andrew Hains · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too ambitious and not as convincing as I had hoped. Wright tries to defend Christianity from the two flanks that he thinks are destroying it. First, Post-modern skepticism attacks upon the historical validity of the Bible. Second, the Faithful Conservative Evangelicals that take a "shallow reading" of the Bible, interpreting it based on modern agendas for personal needs neglecting the big picture and not taking Jesus seriously. Basically, he argues that Christians should understand, apply, and read all of scripture to be the fulfillment of world redemption through Jesus Christ. Modern agendas, personal interpretations, and skepticism diminish the authority of God in scripture. Christians may take the Bible literally but they are not serious about interpreting the Bible or applying it to their lives. He concludes by interpreting what the bible means for understanding the Sabbath and monogamy. Not sure that skeptics care and I assume Evangelicals will be too offended to even consider the rational and valid points that N.T. Wright makes about the problem Christians face in the "post-Christian era."

[Kyle H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book aims to answer three questions:

1. In what sense is the Bible authoritative in the first place?
2. How can the Bible be appropriately understood and interpreted?
3. How can its authority, assuming such appropriate interpretation, be brought to bear on the church itself, let alone on the world?

I think NT does a great job of fleshing these out and giving fresh insights. Rather than the Bible being a manual for morality or an ancient spiritual book, NT argues it is the Word of God that still speaks to our lives today. One thing he emphasizes is the importance of context and the Meta-Narrative of scripture. We should always consider these as we read the word and try to apply it to our lives. He also has two great cases studies on the Sabbath and Monogamy, which show how we can approach these ideas from a biblical perspective.

[Avery Amstutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saw this in the library and picked it up and read it in one sitting. If you want a good entry level book on thinking we’ll about scripture, this is it. If you like this book, check out The New Testament and the People of God

[Elisa Chodan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book for which I've been searching for about 6 years

[James Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would be pretty easy to resent NT Wright: he's ubiquitous, brilliant, and just slightly cocky. But the fact is, he's one of the church's wisest voices right now. Don't let all the adulation distract you from listening to him. It's always worth it. This book is no exception. Cuts to the chase without over simplifying. It reminds us that the authority of Scripture is really about the reign of God.

[James Rickenbaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bp. Wright is spot on throughout most of this book (I’m not terribly fond of his frequent dependence on a third use of the law). He somehow manages to skirt the question of inerrancy while also expounding a fulsome, orthodox understanding of Scripture. I heartily recommend it.

This book is also a great reminder for Christians that Scripture is the story of God’s redeeming work in Christ, from Genesis to Revelation. Scripture is not a library from which you can pick and choose what to read. It is how God reveals who he is to humanity (alongside the reality of the incarnation). Therefore, ultimately, Scripture’s authority comes not from itself, but from the God who inspired it.

[Akash Ahuja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a really insightful understanding of the Scripture, especially to someone who is having a hard time reckoning with the relevance of ancient stories today. NT Wright is a fantastic author and theologian, and I’d strongly recommend this book if you’re interested in how the Bible can be considered authoritative today.

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not always the easiest to follow, but I enjoyed the frameworks. Case studies at the end were very helpful in thinking through Wright's positioning, and I'd be interested in many more similar writeups.

[Thomas Duell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first full book I have read by N.T. Wright. I was challenged and encouraged. Throughout the book it occurred to me that this former Bishop of Durham ought to be read by conservatives and liberals alike (theological partisans that is). Frequently Wright says things that to the ear of either partisan may sound like a potential error. This happened to me several times while reading. "I don't think that's correct" I found myself saying. However upon the further reflection of 5 minutes or 5 days I found myself realizing that he was in fact correct on these various points, but he had simply communicated it in a way that was different to what I am used to. This book helped me to start to learn a new theological language that could aid in the mutually beneficial conversation between people of different (orthodox) faith traditions. The case studies at the end of this book, "Sabbath" and "Monogamy" really bring all the teaching of the book to a helpful application. In my view, when addressing these two topics, Wright reaches conclusions that would satisfy the conservative, but the way he does it is perhaps scary to the conservative, and exciting to the liberal. This interesting manner of walking between the two in order to actually reach what the text says and means was compelling. Recommended read.

[Andy Littleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A far more nuanced take of the authority of Scripture than one might stumble on in religiously conservative circles, yet one that remains committed to the concept while also remaining accessible to all readers.

[Jess Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une très bonne lecture. Dans ce livre Wright fait un survol historique de la façon dont l'autorité de l'Ecriture (ou plus précisément l'autorité de Dieu par le moyen de l'Ecriture) a été vécu et pensé à travers l'histoire du peuple de Dieu, ce depuis l'Israel ancien.

Facile à lire, rempli de réflexions enrichissantes.

[Ethan Zimmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, but I don't have too many thoughts at this point. I read it on drives in between job sites so I think my deep engagement was lower than normal.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reminded of John Frame's assessment of Pastor Wilson's writing: "... with which I agree maybe 80% of the time. But even when I disagree, his work makes me think and leaves me grateful to God for the encounter." This is such a wonderfully fruitful little book, which speaks very intelligently to an area I didn't even know I needed help with. I consistently appreciate Wright.

[Demetrius Rogers · Rating 2 out of 5]

N.T. Wright writes in such a way - at least for me - that defies absorption. I feel like I have to go back and reread most things just to figure out what he is actually saying. His sentences can be as long as a paragraph and discursive as a swarm of bees. It seems N.T. Wright puts so much energy into being clever that he fails to be clear. And there's too much riding on this subject not to be clear.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent, very accessible (non-academic) book which guides the reader away from shallow readings of Scripture and replaces that with a thoughtful method centered on the authority of God as exercised through Scripture. Wright does a good job of avoiding external priorities overlaid on Scripture by various camps and includes two intriguing case studies.

[Joel Sanford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Scripture and the Authority of God to be a stimulating and enjoyable read. In most places, Wright strikes a good balance in his writing, avoiding the overly-technical/specialized without sacrificing too much in clarity or detail where necessary. His central thesis is clear and well-argued throughout, with no lack of supporting examples or evidence. His perspective is refreshing, as he purposely avoids limiting himself to any one “side” in long-standing disagreements over the Bible.

One of the most interesting and helpful sections is a short chapter in the middle wherein he lists common interpretive mistakes made by both conservatives and liberals in their readings of the Bible (I must admit, I identify with several on the liberal side), mistakes which he hopes can be avoided with the adoption of his interpretive framework and method.

Also helpful are the two final chapters added to the latest version of the book, each of which provides an example of his theory put into practice in answering a particular question. The two questions he tackles are the sabbath (when, how, and why it should be kept) and polygamy (whether or not it should be practiced). These chapters are helpful not just because of the answers he provides, but because the way he arrives at those answers helps demonstrate the effectiveness of his framework in handling very practical concerns for today’s Christians.

Finally, for those interested in further reading on this and related topics, he also provides a very helpful set of suggestions on where to start, including recommended versions of the Bible, reference works, commentaries, and other scholarship.

Concerning Wright’s thesis itself – that the authority of scripture is really the authority of God exercised through the ongoing narrative of scripture – I have mixed feelings. As I mentioned, I think it is clearly stated, well-argued, and well-supported. If I allow for some of the premises under which he seems to be operating, I find it quite compelling, and I hope more mainstream Christians read and consider his arguments and the implications they hold for Biblical interpretation. However, as someone who finds himself a fair distance outside mainstream Christianity, it is precisely his underlying premises that I find unconvincing. For instance, Wright seems to put a lot of stock in the idea that what Jews and Christians in the centuries around the time of Jesus believed about scripture is what we today should believe as well. He suggests some reasons for this, such as that scripture itself seems more internally consistent under such a view and that such a view gets us closer to the actual context in which various scriptures were originally written and received, and therefore closer to the originally intended meanings of those scriptures. I think these are both valid points so far as they go, but I don’t think they go quite as far as Wright seems to suggest.

The Bottom Line:

If you are a Christian of any sort, I highly recommend Scripture and the Authority of God. There is much that Wright has to say that is informative, thought-provoking, and of practical interest for someone trying to understand and live out their faith today.

If you are a non-Christian, you are unlikely to be convinced to take the Bible or the major claims of Christianity more seriously through reading this book by itself, and you may be better off finding a work of apologetics, perhaps one that focuses on the historicity of the Gospels for a start.

If, like me, you are somewhere on the margins of Christianity, this book is certainly worth a read. Wright offers a refreshingly sophisticated analysis of both conservative and liberal views of scripture and some historically grounded, keen insights into how scripture can and should be interpreted more responsibly for today’s context.

For a more extensive synopsis and review: http://allthingsmatter.net/review-scripture-and-the-authority-of-god-by-n-t-wright/

[Nick Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started and finished reading this having begun Dale Martin’s *Sex and the Single Savior,* which takes an anti-foundationalist approach to reading Scripture. Martin provides some great critique to Wright’s focus on historical criticism, especially that at some level Wright’s emphasis is so strong that it raises the question of how anyone read the Bible well and faithfully in the past, before the historical-critical method existed.

Wright indeed gives disappointingly scant attention to both premodern and postmodern readings of Scripture in this book. He also doesn’t address theological readings which are not his own model (Creation Fall Israel Jesus Church). Part of this has to do with the relatively narrow and non-exhaustive scope of Wright’s book, but I still wish he had treated those subjects more thoroughly.

What still brings this up to a 4-5 star book after those critiques is 1) that Wright is writing as a pastor to the Church, and this pastoral emphasis shapes every page and 2) the conversation about sources of authority in the church through the framework readers of Hooker and Wesley have given them (Scripture, Tradition, Reason, Experience).

As a United Methodist pastor turning to Wright while United Methodism appears to be flying toward schism, his writing about how these sources of authority interact is just terrific. He is especially helpful in speaking about how for Hooker and Wesley (and most of the Christian Tradition) reason is a particular kind of reason—not just the ability to think rationally, but reasoning within the Church, with its Scripture. Reason is thus a traditioned form of theological reasoning with the Scriptures. Experience, meanwhile, insists Wright, is no source of authority at all but rather the end of authority, if we take “experience” to mean that my individual experience determines my theology, rather than that experience is an important shaper and affirmer of our theology from other sources of primary authority.

Five stars not because it’s perfect but because it helps me think and understand and speak better of Scripture, theology, and God to the people of God.

[Timothy Sikes · Rating 5 out of 5]

N.T. Wright's ability to make intricate and deep ideas accessible and readable never ceases to amaze me, and this book is no exception.

He opens by giving a fast but fascinating summary on how scripture has been viewed through different points in history. Next he details different frameworks of reading the Bible and their respective problems.

I loved the nuance he gave in these examples ("Authority of Scripture" is shorthand for "God's Authority Exercised through Scripture", as an example), and he notes the complexities beyond the stereotypical conservative vs. liberal leanings ("well the Bible clearly says" vs. "Yes, but I'm reading with *context*"). Coming from a "we follow the Bible not doctorine" tradition, he airs out problems that arise from that view of thinking (as well as many others) including several problems/tensions in interpreting scripture that I've wrestled with for a while.

Wright wraps up by offering a proposed framework for reading/interpreting/following scripture. Working off of the framework of the Kingdom of God (no surprise to any readers of N.T. Wright's other works) and viewing the Biblical narrative as a series of different acts in a play (with our lives being the final act), Wright offers a framework for understanding and living out scripture that is nuanced, wholistic, and dialogued. He then uses the examples of the Sabbath and Monogamy as case studies for how such a framework might work.

While I do think N.T. Wright is quite readable, my kindle dictionary was definitely helpful for those quick look ups in remembering the difference between, say, soteriology and eschatology (just a warning). I'd recommend a read for anyone interested in a nuanced look at interpreting scripture.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't the book I was expecting. I know that Wright doesn't like to use the term 'inerrancy', and I was expecting this book to be about why he doesn't, but how he still has a high view of Scripture. The subtitle of the book, "How to Read the Bible Today" is a more accurate title of this book. The emphasis of the book is on the authority of Scripture today, and how modern Christians should read the Bible.

I enjoyed the book, and it was helpful. I was just expecting something different. I do think there are some important things in the book that modern evangelicals would do well to heed.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

"We cannot reduce scripture to a set of “timeless truths” on the one hand, or to mere fuel for devotion on the other, without being deeply disloyal, at a structural level, to scripture itself."

"There is a great gulf fixed between those who want to prove the historicity of everything reported in the Bible in order to demonstrate that the Bible is “true” after all and those who, committed to living under the authority of scripture, remain open to what scripture itself actually teaches and emphasizes. Which is the bottom line: “proving the Bible to be true” (often with the effect of saying, “So we can go on thinking what we’ve always thought”), or taking it so seriously that we allow it to tell us things we’d never heard before and didn’t particularly want to hear?"

"To affirm “the authority of scripture” is precisely not to say, “We know what scripture means and don’t need to raise any more questions.” It is always a way of saying that the church in each generation must make fresh and rejuvenated efforts to understand scripture more fully and live by it more thoroughly, even if that means cutting across cherished traditions."

[Corey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was different from what I thought it was going to be. By the title, I thought that Wright might cover his views on inspiration (verbal plenary, etc.) But the book was really more of a guide to involving yourself in the Story as you read the Bible.

"All authority has been given to me" Wright correctly points out about Jesus's words at the end of Matthew. Wright says that the authority is from God/Christ, and not the Bible. The Bible is only authoritative in that it refers to Christ's authority. I think you can see why I have the question of "exactly how much is that?"

Wright is a VERY gifted writer. You can hear his deep British voice when you read his works and they're fairly easy to read. The book details many of the pitfalls of both the left and the right when it comes to biblical interpretation which I really enjoyed. He emphasizes that biblical interpretation should be seen in context, and that we (humans) are nearing the end of a 5 act play. So we shouldn't be reading our Bibles like we are in act 1 (Gen 1-2). Things are different now, Jesus has fulfilled so much of what God was planning all along and it is important to note that.

Wright devotes the last two chapters as case study for how to study an issue in the Bible in light of living in the final act (monogamy and the Sabbath). Overall, it was good. I just left with more questions that I am sure he has answered elsewhere (and that I will inevitably come across.)

[Jake Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is the Bible and how do we apply it today? Wright brings his characteristic wit and brilliance to bear on these questions, showing that the Bible isn't, at its core, a book of rules, but rather a story with five acts climaxing in Jesus. He argues that application of the Bible in the twenty-first century is all about participating with God in the new creation project launched in the person and work of Jesus.

After expounding upon the meaning of "biblical authority" (the Bible's authority is tied to Jesus's authority), Wright spends the final two chapters applying the principles to the contested issues of Sabbath and monogamy.

This is a great book for anyone familiar with some of Wright's other works as it presents a concise and compelling overview of his thoughts on the Bible.

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for understanding the purpose and place of the Bible in todays world.

After carefully and gracefully dissecting views of how the church and society are using (and at times abusing) the Bible, Wright fights back against post-modernism and fundamentalism. He manages to achieve this, all while avoiding the traps laid out for him within Christian circles, intent on throwing fuel on the 'inherency' debate. Rather, walking the path of emphasising the need to understand and live under the authority of Scripture, which he reminds us time and time again that really means we live under the rule and reign of God.

His 'five-act play' interpretation of how the Scriptures progress and play out is a particularly helpful paradigm for comprehending how to apply and understand certain texts within our contemporary world, one which I hope to hold tight to as I walk forward.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure I got much out of this book, as far as uncovering the significance of the central thesis, but I was also listening to it over much of New Year’s Day, on little sleep. Not bad, is all I’ll say about it for now.

[Basil Stelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sentences with so many parenthetical statements I couldn’t connect one thought to another.

[Nurullah Doğan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book!

I wouldn't mind it being a little bit longer and more comprehensive.

[J. Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good.

[Chrystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, I come away from an NT Wright book seeing with new eyes. So thankful for his wisdom.