N.T. Wright , Bishop of Durham

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.

N. T. (Tom) Wright is Bishop of Durham in the Church of England. A native of north-east England, he graduated from Oxford University with degrees in philosophy and ancient history and then in theology before being ordained to a Fellowship at Merton College, Oxford. He completed his doctorate under Professor George Caird and, having taught and worked as a chaplain in Cambridge University, became Assistant Professor of New Testament Studies at McGill University, Montreal from 1981-86. He then returned to Oxford as Fellow and Chaplain of Worcester College and University Lecturer in New Testament Studies. He moved to be Dean of Lichfield in 1994, then to be Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey in 2000, and was appointed bishop of Durham in 2003. Dr Wright holds the DD from Oxford, and honorary degrees from several institutions including Aberdeen and St Andrews Universities; he is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Society of New Testament Studies, and the Tyndale Fellowship. He is the author of over 40 books and a few hundred articles, best known being his series 'Christian Origins and the Question of God' whose three volumes so far are The New Testament and the People of God (1992), Jesus and the Victory of God (1996) and The Resurrection of the Son of God (2003). He is now working on the fourth volume, Paul and the Justice of God, which will be his project while at CTI. He is also the author of the popular 'Everyone' series of NT commentaries (Matthew for Everyone, etc.). He is a frequent broadcaster on radio and television.