Nicholas T. Wright
Anglican Bishop of Durham, England

Nicholas T. Wright

Wright is Anglican Bishop of Durham, England and taught New Testament studies for 20 years at Cambridge, McGill and Oxford Universities.

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Notes on Falwell From Afar

I'm afraid we in the UK have only heard distantly of Jerry Falwell. Most churchgoers in England won't have heard of him at all; nonchurchgoers will only have heard of him as a strange character who pops up from time to time when people are writing 'how weird can they get' articles in our newspapers shaking their heads over American strangenesses.

My own sense, having spent a lot of time in the States over the years, is that he was a classic of his type and with a lot more integrity than some of the shady characters in the religious penumbra. But, insofar as I know what he taught -- which I freely admit would be second or third hand -- he was saying some things which I strongly say myself but I think in a different framework, and some things which I strongly argue against (e.g. on the present state of Israel and prophecy).

Within the strange, large economy of God's grace, which filters the truth of scripture through all of us imperfect interpreters, it may be that I make just as many mistakes as I think he did, but we are each called to be true to what we find in scripture and I have no reason to suppose he was not as obedient to that imperative as I struggle to be.

May he rest in peace and, with the rest of us, rise in glory where we shall look back on present disagreements like an adult looks back on childhood squabbles in the playground.

By Nicholas T. Wright  |  May 16, 2007; 12:37 PM ET
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I am English and somewhat amazed at the controversy that Bishop Wright has stirred in the USA. Here the sea is as calm as a mill pond, over there it seems like a raging hurricane of controversy. In Britain, Christianity is definitely on the back foot so we cant afford the luxury of division and mutual anathematization. Most of the critism of NTW is based on a point here and a point there. Few seem to challenge his main theses with any real cogency. His critics seem to squeeze his teaching into either one of three categories: liberal, arminian, or Roman Catholic. If they can do this successfully they feel that they have won the argument. Wright is liberal in as much as he is openminded; a quality that few of his critics possess.

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I almost agree with Jim Wait, I would say since Calvin and Luther

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dear Bishop Wright,I am losing faith in the Episcopal Church in the USA yet i can not see leaving it for other religions. I do not feel comfortable with the thought of having a homosectual priest in my church. I could not relate to such a person. I think I shall abandon all organized religion and pray in secret in my room as Jesus suggested in the New Testament.

Posted by: Anonamous | May 23, 2007 6:44 PM
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Well said, Bishop Tom! I just read that aloud to our neo-monastic community, and it was received with much thankful commendation.

Your work and words toward ecumenical healing continue to be as honorable and important as your scholarship. :)

Posted by: Brandon Rhodes | May 23, 2007 12:42 AM
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Well said, Bishop Tom! I just read that aloud to our neo-monastic community, and it was received much thankful commendation.

Your work and words toward ecumenical healing continue to be as honorable and important as your scholarship. :)

Posted by: Brandon Rhodes | May 23, 2007 12:40 AM
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I agree with Tom's assessment, and I would add that Falwell did well to remind us that Christianity is not a private affair. I would disagree with his doom and gloom, but a life lived free of corruption and controversy speaks for itself.

Posted by: Donnie McDaniel | May 22, 2007 3:21 PM
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Jim,

"No one, since Paul and Jesus, has so radically set forth God's plan for God restoring God's project for creation."

I like NT Wright as well, but don't you think that's a little bit of an overstatement?

Posted by: Daniel | May 21, 2007 11:09 AM
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With all due respect to Jerry Falwell, I do not see any relation between N.T. Wright and him. N.T. Wright has propelled us to new heights and depths in our understanding of God's project of Creation that will shape the Christian world for years to come. He has given the church back the Bible and hope for unity. No one, since Paul and Jesus, has so radically set forth God's plan for God restoring God's project for creation.

Posted by: Jim Wait | May 18, 2007 11:43 PM
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If more seekers and believers displayed the integrity and humility shown here by Dr Wright, "Christianity" might not be a curse word on the lips of so many in 2007.

Nick

PS - Did you notice that the one calling Tom Wright a heretic wouldn't even share their name?

Posted by: Nick Gill | May 18, 2007 11:06 PM
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If more seekers and believers displayed the integrity and humility shown here by Dr Wright, "Christianity" might not be a curse word on the lips of so many in 2007.

Nick

PS - Did you notice that the one calling Tom Wright a heretic wouldn't even share their name?

Posted by: Nick Gill | May 18, 2007 11:05 PM
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I would have to agree with Tom Wright about theological disagreements that I have with what Jerry Falwell stood for. He was a believer in doom that would come to the world sometime in the future, which I would argue is inconsistent with the biblical narrative. God's plan, although accomplished through much travail, has always been to renew the world in a final act of grace at his second coming. Preaching doomsday theology and imposing it on culture is a great fault of the perceived American church. Judgment coupled with fear seemed to be an overarching theme of much of Falwell's public life in the media. His comments on Katrina are a clear example of this. Such a perception is dangerous and has turned many off by the thought of being associated with religious fanaticism.

With that said, I also must commend the life of Rev. Falwell. He stood for convictions that were motivated by his understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ; many of which were righteous causes; although the method of representing such often came off as absurd. Nevertheless, he (as Tom Wright said above) will be raised to imperishable existence in a world that no longer is plagued by death. At this time, such theological differences will be irrelevant.

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