NT Wright Rides a Pale Horse: A Global Justice Rejoinder

by Douglas Wilson

FIRST, DO NO HARM

Douglas Wilson finds much to appreciate about Anglican theologian N.T. Wright’s writing, but takes exception when it comes to his particular calls for action in the realm of global politics and economics. The former bishop of Durham is rightly concerned about economic ills such as Third World debt, but his proposed solutions are not so much cure as more disease.

In N.T. Wright Rides a Pale Horse, Wilson points out the potential consequences of treating complex diagnoses with simplistic remedies. Rather than bringing peace and prosperity, such prescriptions are more likely “to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth” (Rev. 6:8).

Wilson also pushes back against Wright’s critique of Christian conservatives, particularly the American ones, arguing that, though their applications have sometimes been off-base, their basic understanding of how theology and politics align is more faithful than flawed.

Douglas Wilson has been the pastor of Christ Church, Moscow, Idaho, for over forty years. He and His wife, Nancy, have three children and seventeen grandchildren. Doug is the author of scores of books, including A Review of N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Scripture. You can read his blog at dougwils.com, follow him on Twitter at @douglaswils, and listen to him on the Plodcast.

Genres: Theology

160 pages, ebook

Published January 25, 2022

About the author

I write in order to make the little voices in my head go away. Thus far it hasn't worked.

Reviews

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to think the answers to the world's woes were obvious, but then I started listening to people who'd thought through the implications of the simple fixes, and it turns out they weren't so simple after all. Third World debt is one of those issues, and this pretty tidily bursts the bubble of blanket-forgiveness-will-make-it-all better. And it pretty smartly slaps the wrist of anti-conservative-American-Christianism.

[Will Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I suppose if you were one of the few people in the world looking to N. T. Wright to inform your stance on global economic policy, you’d be obligated to give this short and concise counter argument a read. And here you’d find that Wright doesn’t really know what he’s talking about, once you see through the English accent (which really can make anything sound like a good idea).

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dated, despite the new release. Wilson is addressing Wright's claim that "third-world debt" is the biggest moral issue facing the west today. He is also addressing Wright's poorly reasoned solution to said "problem." What is more important than this particular issue is the way in which Wilson argues. He shows how leftist "solutions," especially in the economic realm, leave things worse than before. "First, do no harm" is not a bad credo for social crusaders. Unfortunately it seems Wright (nor his church) has gotten the message.