Everyone raves about Tom Wright. And I haven't yet read anything by him. So I was just getting round to the idea that I shold, and was going to ask my wife to get me something for my birthday, when I found myself in the Cathedral bookshop, holding Tom Wright's 'Justification' in my hand.
I openined it and read a few lines, and had that same experience that I did when I picked up Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis. "OOOohhh, that's HOT!......and disturbing......I have to read this, but maybe not just yet....it will rock the boat and change my theology."
It's always painful handing over cash at the till, but once over that hurdle I brought it home.
I have now finsihed the introduction.
It is indeed as deep and disturbing as I thought, but in a positive sense of building upon wwhat I already believe (as far as I can tell so far). I don't think I will have too much trouble coming round to his way of thinking. It is very good, and I don't see a conflict between this and my Evangelical upbringing - yet.
My problem is that everybody raves about how readable he is, wheras I find him rather turgid. Sentances that go on for 8 lines with five subclauses leave you lost as to what the sentance stareted off with. And he keeps refering to variosu former theologians. THat's great for a scholastic audience, but not really for those as low ranking as me. Rob Bell was grabbed by my son and read avidly. I can't see the same happening with this.
Nevertheless, I shall struggle on, because I think I shall find it worthwhile.
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