N. T. Wright's first volume of a projected six-volume work called The New Testament and the People of God is organized in five parts. Part I is the introduction and deals with Christian origins and the New Testament. Part II is entitled "Tools for the Task." In it Wright discusses four areas: first, knowledge and its problems and varieties; second, literature, story, and the articulation of worldviews; third, history and the first century; and fourth, theology, authority, and the New Testament. Part III is labeled "First-Century Judaism within the Greco-Roman World," Part IV "The First Christian Century," and Part V "Conclusion."
Thus far I've only gotten into the front end of Part II, and it is proving to be fruitful and stimulating reading. Wright writes a lot of sensible and salutary stuff, but I'm left feeling a little like his discussions are (perhaps) a wee bit too controlled by his and related academic disciplines. I may be able to say more on this in a later post, particularly with regard to epistemology. But I have to see first how Wright develops the epistemology that undergirds the Christian worldview for which he contends. And I want to acknowledge lickety-split that any reflections and critique that I offer are admittedly from the standpoint of a toddler standing in awe with wonder at a father's understanding of the world round about. But toddlers still ask questions like, "But what about this, daddy? And, why do you say that?"
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