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N.T. Wright, “Apocalyptic and Mysticism in the New Testament”

In Apocalyptic, David J. Larsen, Mysticism, N. T. WRIGHT, New Testament, SEMINAR REPORTS, St Andrews on February 9, 2012 at 4:30 pm

This is a report on the University of St Andrews New Testament Research Seminar (N. T. Wright chair), 7 February 2012.

Professor N. Thomas Wright commenced this semester’s New Testament research seminar on Apocalyptic and Mysticism with some introductory remarks regarding these categories and what they mean for the academic study of the New Testament.

Prior to Wright’s remarks, Dr. Scott Hafemann announced that Professor Wright had recently been awarded the Mark O. Hatfield award for excellence in leadership in the field of Christian higher education by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities in Washington D.C.

Wright began by commenting on the rather bumpy road that has been traveled in the history of the academic study of Apocalyptic Literature and Mysticism. Some parties, both in the German and then the American academies, have historically been very wary of venturing into these subjects and have long resisted and pushed to the sidelines the study of related texts. They have often not found a place for these categories in the study of the New Testament, arguing against the historical Jesus’ involvement in anything “mystical” and asserting that Paul wouldn’t have dabbled in it. The academy has long privileged matters of the mind over those of the heart. Read the rest of this entry »


N.T. Wright’s Inaugural Lecture as Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews, “Imagining the Kingdom: Mission and Theology in Early Christianity”

In David J. Larsen, N. T. WRIGHT, New Testament, NT Theology, SEMINAR REPORTS, St Andrews on October 27, 2011 at 6:18 pm

Last night I had the opportunity to listen to Professor Tom Wright (a.k.a. N.T. Wright) give his Inaugural Lecture as Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity here at the University of St Andrews. I share here my notes from the lecture. Please be aware that the following is based on rather skimpy hand-written notes, and so does not do justice to Wright’s elegant and precise handling of the English language, but I hope I have preserved the thrust of his arguments.  The speech was entitled:  ”Imagining the Kingdom: Mission and Theology in early Christianity.”

Wright begins by outlining how the four Gospels are remarkable documents that are still largely unknown to us. We are failing to understand the thrust of the Gospels. We need to apply our imagination and look beyond the boundaries of the various philosophies that guide our views.

(Wright will present a fresh thesis about the Gospels) Read the rest of this entry »


N. T. Wright, “Scripture and God’s Authority: Case Studies and Further Questions”

In N. T. WRIGHT, Rebekah Devine, SEMINAR REPORTS, St Andrews, St Andrews Graduate Conference for Biblical and Early Christian Studies on September 28, 2011 at 9:54 pm

This is a report on a paper presented by Prof N. T. Wright as a keynote address at the 1st St Andrews Graduate Conference for Biblical and Early Christian Studies, 15 June 2011. The conference theme was “Authoritative Texts and Reception History”. The programme of the conference is available here.

The conference facebook page is here. This blog’s facebook page is here.

Wright’s paper addresses what he views as the most contested and problematic moment in reception history:  “The moment when those first-century Jews who believed that Jesus of Nazareth was Israel’s Messiah and the world’s Lord began to re-read their scriptures with this belief as the controlling filter.”  The paper is a re-presentation of the main issues examined in Wright’s book, Scripture and God’s Authority.  As is suggested by the title, Wright emphasizes that the authority of scripture is not in the text itself; rather, the authority of God is somehow mediated through the text.  Read the rest of this entry »