Summary of Simply Christian by N.T. Wright (Part One)

This blog is moving to wordpress.org so the new address is

www.irreligiouscanuck.com

Summary of Simply Christian by N.T. Wright – PART ONE

After reading Simply Christian, I set out to write a summary of the book both for personal reasons and for this blog. I though it would be very helpful for others to read a summary (at least what one person thinks is a summary) of this book. However, the task proved to be more daunting than I had expected. I am learning more from the book this time around as I look back over the chapters and the notes I made than I did the first time reading it through. So, my summary is still in the works and I have decided to split it into three parts – as the book is also split into three parts. So, here is my shot at writing a summary of Part One. Please feel free to add to it or expand, or clarify or whatever in the comments section.

————————————————————————–

Simply Christian

There are four features of human life which function as the echo of a voice. These four features are justice, spirituality, human relationships, and beauty. Each of these four “echoes of a voice” resonate very strongly in our postmodern and post-Christian world and points beyond itself out into the unknown.

1) We all know there is something called Justice and we all yearn for it. Our innate sense of justice is central to human life and justice is something we all desire. But justice is elusive. Even though we all want justice in this world, we can’t seem to make it happen. Christians believe . . .

2) For the past two or three centuries in the West, spirituality has been controlled or forced underground by the dominant philosophy. Now, finally, the springs have erupted and spirituality is gushing everywhere throughout our society. New Age mysticism, Tarot cards, crystals, horoscopes etc. Are all aspects of this second echo of a voice that indicates that humans were made for much more than this.

3) The whole world of human relationships forms another echo. We were made to be in relationships and we need a community to belong to.

4) The world is full of beauty. We may not all agree on the definition of beauty as it is often a matter of perspective and a matter of taste.

PARADOX/PUZZLE
Each of these features of life act as echoes of a voice and at the same time each of them presents us with a paradox or puzzle. We long for justice, but justice is elusive. We know there is thing called spirituality, but it is hard to refute the argument that it is only wishful thinking. We are made for each other, but making relationships work is a very difficult task. Beauty is all around us, but it is incomplete. These echoes begin to become recognizable when we focus on the creator God.

The Christian story, which claims to be the true story of God and the world, offers us the explanation of the voice whose echoes are heard in our longing for justice, spirituality, relationship and beauty.

END OF SUMMARY PART ONE

1 Comment

Filed under Faith, N.T. Wright

Tags: book, book summary, N.T. Wright, Simply Christian, summary of Simply Christian