N.T. Wright and the "Christian Origins and the Question of God" Series. Reviews Forthcoming.

I just received review copies of Volumes I and II of Tom Wright's widely heralded historical-theological series, Christian Origins and the Question of God.  I'm midway through Volume III, The Resurrection of the Son of God, and am learning a great deal about the development of the world in which that momentous event (so Wright argues) was set.  Over the next several months expect to see reviews and musings on the first three volumes.  One potentially problematic aspect of this series is its density.  These books are just plain long and tough to get through  In my coming reviews I'll do my best to re-dress Wright's central concepts for those who aren't riveted with anticipation at the thought of bearing through 750 pages of stark textbook.

Volume IV, Paul and the Faithfulness of God, is to be released sometime this year and, if it's reception is anything like the first three, it will bring with it a delightful storm of new theological inquiries and debates.  Here's Wright on the contents of the forthcoming Volume IV (from the Center of Theological Inquiry):

Paul and the Faithfulness of God (Volume IV of Christian Origins and the Question of God) combines history and theology (exegesis being a branch of both), using the worldview-analysis outlined earlier. I shall examine (i) Paul’s characteristic praxis, stories and symbols, and his answers to the key worldview questions; (ii) his theology in terms of the revision, by means of Christ and the Spirit, of the central Jewish topics of monotheism, election and eschatology. At each point we see Paul in implicit dialogue and/or confrontation both with other Jewish readings of scripture and with hellenistic and Roman ideologies. His central aim was to found and maintain united and holy Christ-communities as a sign of new humanity to the wider world.  

Theologically, this demonstrates a deep inner coherence throughout Paul’s theology, reconciling otherwise puzzling topics (e.g. the classic stand-off between ‘justification’ and ‘being in Christ’), and reframing ‘ethics’ and ‘ecclesiology’ in a more central and positive role than usual. Historically, I shall reconstruct Paul’s worldview and mindset in terms of a complex but coherent relationship (part derivation, part confrontation, part creative engagement) with the multiple worlds of C1 Judaism, Hellenism and Roman imperialism.

I look forward to this project.  Stay tuned for thoughts and reviews.