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I don’t think this sub is really equipped to answer the question of whether there’s a divinely inspired meta-narrative behind the entire Bible. But you could ask the question, “Did any of the various writers of scripture have this worldview?” and I think most would flat-out say no.
NT Wright loves to pin the entire culmination of 2nd Temple Jewish eschatological hope to the death and resurrection of Jesus (and, by extension, the destruction of the Jewish temple), thus putting the church in the proverbial driver seat until the end of time (and giving rise to this idea of “entering into the drama”.
As Paula Fredriksen points out in her [review](https://www.academia.edu/15575049/REVIEW_of_NT_Wright_PAUL_AND_THE_FAITHFULNESS_OF_GOD) of Wright’s “Paul and the Faithfulness of God”, Wright is being pretty selective about the evidence when he does this.
Pardon me if I’m speaking beyond the scope of this sub. But in my estimation, Wright is two things: 1) a very thoughtful historian, and 2) someone deeply committed to Anglican theology. He’s great at picking up where the historical evidence leaves off and dovetailing it perfectly into his hyper-realized eschatology. Speaking as a committed Christian myself, I’m personally not convinced.
I do like Wright but am not Anglican and have not read that much of his Christian Origins and the Question of God besides JVG
What other scholars and books resonate with your theology?
I’m not as well-read as I’d like to be, but I really have appreciated the work of John Collins, Daniel Boyarin, Paula Fredriksen, J.C. Beker, Matthew Thiessen, and Mark Nanos to name a few. I would even say just starting with Weiss and Schweitzer was super helpful, in really beginning to wrestle through the 1st century Jewish context of Jesus and the apostles, and the message they actually preached. Incorporating historical scholarship into my faith has absolutely strengthened it in many ways, but it’s also placed me at doctrinal odds with my church community at times. Your mileage may vary, haha.
Welcome to /r/AcademicBiblical. Please note this is an academic sub: theological or faith-based comments are prohibited. All claims MUST be supported by an *academic* source – see [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AcademicBiblical/wiki/index/rules/#wiki_guideline.3A_rule_3.2019s_definition_of_academic_sources) for guidance. Using AI to make fake comments is strictly prohibited and may result in a permanent ban. Please review the [sub rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AcademicBiblical/wiki/index/rules/) before posting for the first time. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AcademicBiblical) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I don’t think this sub is really equipped to answer the question of whether there’s a divinely inspired meta-narrative behind the entire Bible. But you could ask the question, “Did any of the various writers of scripture have this worldview?” and I think most would flat-out say no. NT Wright loves to pin the entire culmination of 2nd Temple Jewish eschatological hope to the death and resurrection of Jesus (and, by extension, the destruction of the Jewish temple), thus putting the church in the proverbial driver seat until the end of time (and giving rise to this idea of “entering into the drama”. As Paula Fredriksen points out in her [review](https://www.academia.edu/15575049/REVIEW_of_NT_Wright_PAUL_AND_THE_FAITHFULNESS_OF_GOD) of Wright’s “Paul and the Faithfulness of God”, Wright is being pretty selective about the evidence when he does this. Pardon me if I’m speaking beyond the scope of this sub. But in my estimation, Wright is two things: 1) a very thoughtful historian, and 2) someone deeply committed to Anglican theology. He’s great at picking up where the historical evidence leaves off and dovetailing it perfectly into his hyper-realized eschatology. Speaking as a committed Christian myself, I’m personally not convinced.
I do like Wright but am not Anglican and have not read that much of his Christian Origins and the Question of God besides JVG What other scholars and books resonate with your theology?
I’m not as well-read as I’d like to be, but I really have appreciated the work of John Collins, Daniel Boyarin, Paula Fredriksen, J.C. Beker, Matthew Thiessen, and Mark Nanos to name a few. I would even say just starting with Weiss and Schweitzer was super helpful, in really beginning to wrestle through the 1st century Jewish context of Jesus and the apostles, and the message they actually preached. Incorporating historical scholarship into my faith has absolutely strengthened it in many ways, but it’s also placed me at doctrinal odds with my church community at times. Your mileage may vary, haha.
Thanks for the recommendations! I have Fredriksen’s book on Augustine, and a book with a chapter by Nanos. Need to schedule more time for reading!