N.T. Wright: New Creation in Advance

The works of N.T. Wright, both written and in audio format, have had a major influence on my biblical and theological reflections over the last several years. Even the title and subtitle of this blog are indicative of insights gleaned from his teaching. Although many teachers of the past have emphasized such things as inaugurated eschatology, a redemptive-historical outlook on Scripture, and a grammatical-historical hermeneutic, few have done so with the clarity and grace of Tom Wright. This affirmation is not an unmitigated recommendation of every word which proceeds from his mouth, but, nevertheless, I am a fan.

These lectures are basically a summary of his book After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters. The first two audio recordings (at the bottom of the linked page) are the actual lectures; the third recording is a Sunday sermon; and the fourth one is a Q&A session in which the recording quality is very poor. Wright’s thesis throughout the lectures is that all of Christian character formation falls under the rubric of “new creation in advance.” That is, God has begun his plan of rescuing and renewing his creation in and through the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. This new creative activity is now being applied to the church by God’s Spirit, the down-payment of the resurrection life we will have in fullness at the eschaton. The Christian’s responsibility, therefore, is to cultivate certain habits of the heart in the power of God’s Spirit by which we are transformed.

In the first lecture, Wright lays out his basic New Testament framework for character transformation, comparing and contrasting that framework with other first century models. The virtues and vices which were proposed by Aristotle, for example, have similarities, as well as dissimilarities with biblical ethics. Wright concludes the first lecture with a discussion of the royal priesthood, and demonstrates that Christians with transformed characters are fulfilling this vocation. The second lecture is mainly an exposition of the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5, with a special emphasis on the ministerial habits of the heart.

The lectures can be found here: http://edod.org/