Simply Christian -- Book Review

 

The link for this week's worship service is here

Simply Christian by N. T. Wright

 

                “Simply outstanding. It will confirm, challenge, and deepen your grasp of Christian faith and practice.”  Christianity Today 

 

Simply Christian is divided into three main parts.  The first part “Echoes of a voice” contains four chapters that explore: the longing for justice, the quest for spirituality, the hunger for relationships, and the delight in beauty.  This first section raises questions which are then bit by bit addressed and tied together throughout the book.  The handling of these voices is well done and will resonate with unbelievers anywhere.

 

Part two explores the central Christian belief about God.  This section is titled “Staring at the sun” and discusses God, Israel, Jesus and the coming of God’s kingdom, Jesus: rescue and renewal, God’s breath of life and living by the spirit.  In this section he discuses how heaven and earth overlap and intersect, and claims that the most important point of intersection is Jesus.  I very much enjoyed the chapter on Israel as it was like a short history of the Old Testament and how it relates to the coming of the Messiah.

 

Part three,” Reflecting the image” is where Wright describes what it looks like in practice to follow Jesus, to be energized by the spirit, and to advance the plan of creator God.  Wright again emphasizes how heaven and earth intersect by exploring worship, prayer, Scripture and the sacraments.  He looks at the Church not as  a building or even an institution but as the company of those who believe in the God we see in Jesus and are trying to follow. 

 

The structure of the book is logical and follows the themes introduced in the first section; however I would not say the book is simple to read.  I found some portions very interesting and informative but others were disturbing.  The chapter on Jesus: rescue and renewal, painted a picture of Jesus that I had never considered.  I will not go into describing what was written as I suggest you read this chapter then call me so we can discuss it together!

 

The secondary part of the title of this book is “Why Christianity makes Sense” and I feel that Wright has presented a logical argument for why we need God, why Jesus was sacrificed on the cross, why we need worship, the Spirit and the Church.  So stretch yourself and give this book a try.  Read it with a friend so together you can look at each section and dive deeper into living a Christian life.

 

Linda Cliff