N.T. Wright (Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, University of St. Andrews, Scotland)

Lecture by N.T. Wright “Discerning the Dawn: Knowing God in the New Creation"

Given 7pm - 9pm on Saturday March 25, 2017 at The Lanier Theological Library Chapel in Houston, Texas. It is part of the Lanier Library Lecture Series. A series devoted to bringing world class lectures to benefit the community of all those who might be interested.

In this lecture, N.T. Wright discusses how the Christian gospel of new creation through the death and resurrection of Jesus answers the great questions asked by all human societies.

Traditional “natural theology” tries to start from the observed world and reason its way to the Christian God, but centuries of natural and social disaster have undermined this optimism. In this lecture, N.T. Wright discusses how the Christian gospel of new creation through the death and resurrection of Jesus offers a more biblical account, in which the great questions asked by all human societies – justice, spirituality, relationships, beauty, freedom and truth – can be seen in retrospect to be the right questions to which the new creation is giving the fresh answer. This has immediate relevance not only for theology, but for such diverse fields as the relationship of Christianity to scientific endeavor on the one hand and political engagement on the other.

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Bio info:

N.T. Wright was born on December 1, 1948 in Morpeth, Northumberland, England. He is a retired Anglican bishop and a leading New Testament scholar. Wright was the Bishop of Durham in the Church of England from 2003 until his retirement in 2010. He is currently Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at St. Mary's College, University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

In a 2003 interview he said that he could never remember a time when he was not aware of the presence and love of God. He recalled an occasion at age four or five when "sitting by myself at Morpeth and being completely overcome, coming to tears, by the fact that God loved me so much he died for me. Everything that has happened to me since has produced wave upon wave of the same."

In addition to his Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Divinity degrees from Oxford University, he has also been awarded honorary doctoral degrees from Durham University in 2007, the John Leland Center for Theological Studies in 2008, the University of St. Andrews in 2009, Heythrop College, University of London in 2010, and the Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary's Seminary & University in 2012.

Among modern New Testament scholars, Wright is an important proponent of traditional views on theological matters including Christ's bodily resurrection and second coming. Further, he has expressed strenuous opposition both to the ordination of openly gay persons and the blessing of same-sex partnerships and marriages. On the other hand, he has criticized the idea of a literal rapture, coauthored a book with his friend Marcus Borg, a widely known voice of liberal Christianity, and is associated with the Open Evangelical movement and New Perspective on Paul, both of which are controversial in many conservative theological circles.

He has published over 80 books and spoken often on radio and television. His latest books include The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’ Crucifixion and God in Public. One of his most important popular series is his New Testament for Everyone that includes 18 volumes.