From Publishers Weekly:How do you develop a character suited for God's Kingdom? Practice, practice, practice. That, in a nutshell, is the message of this volume on building Christian character by Wright, a prodigiously prolific Bible scholar and Anglican Bishop of Durham, England. In arguing for this new vision of virtue, which is a vision of Jesus Christ himself, Wright carefully explores such classical exponents of character as Aristotle. He also acknowledges the existence of other notions of encouraging behavior-based rules, duty, or being true to oneself. Drawing on Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, Wright asserts that true transformation comes through the work of the Holy Spirit and through worship, mission, and following Jesus. As the habits of virtue grow, the church will become the royal priesthood it is meant to be, anticipating God's coming new world.
"Bishop Wright, with his usual wisdom and erudition, shows how an account of the virtues is not only compatible but is required by the New Testament understanding of what it means to be a Christian. This important book will hopefully be read by theologian and non-theologian alike." -- Stanley Hauerwas, Duke Divinity School
2 comments:
The church or rather churches have been filled with a plethora of different Christian "characters," who read and study the same Bible, emphasizing different part no doubt. Wright has it all figured out?
I rather like "scholarship" as a type of character, and one that Wright himself embodies or tries to. Give me C. S. Lewis or Wright over Benny Hinn or even over the types of character displayed by many Evangelical inerrantists. At least Wright and Lewis have studied humanity, read the classics, have some appreciation for a host of matters lying outside the "Christian" realm. And at least they acknowledge that interpretation depends on learning much outside of the Bible. The Bible does not "interpret itself."
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