“The Bible Says” According to N.T. Wright (New-ish Book Coming in June)

When I jumped on to Amazon this evening, I noticed a link to a forthcoming (June, 2014) book by N.T. Wright called The Bible Says where Wright comments on controversial topics like evolution, women’s ordination, and politics. Read the fine print, though, and you will notice this does not appear to be a brand new book, but a collection of previous material.

Even though I was disappointed at first to see it is not a new work, I think it could be helpful to have this kind of material in one place when parishioners or students have particular questions. Here is the official book copy (NB: I found the copy material to be quite poorly written; Also, the image does not match the copy’s book title! I hope they run this by an editor soon…):

A thoughtful and provocative collection, in the vein of the intellectual spiritual classic The Weight of Glory, from N. T. Wright, the influential Bishop, Bible scholar, and bestselling author widely regarded as a modern C. S. Lewis.

An unusual combination of scholar, churchman, and leader, N. T. Wright—hailed by Newsweek as “the world’s leading New Testament scholar”—is not only incredibly insightful, but conveys his knowledge in terms that excite and inspire Christian leaders worldwide, allowing them to see the Bible from a fresh viewpoint. In this challenging and stimulating collection of popular essays, sermons, and talks, Wright provide a series of case studies which explore how the Bible can be applied to some of the most pressing contemporary issues facing us, including:

• Why it is possible to love the Bible and affirm evolution
• Why women should be allowed to be ordained
• Where Christians today have lost focus, and why it is important for them to engage in politics—and why that involvement benefits everyone
• Why the Christian belief in heaven means we should be at the forefront of the environmental movement
• And much more

Helpful, practical, and wise, Surprised by Scripture invites readers to examine their own hearts and minds and presents new models for understanding how to affirm the Bible in today’s world—as well as new ideas and renewed energy for deepening our faith and engaging with the world around us.