Reading N. T. Wright’s latest book, Simply Good News: Why the Gospel is News and What Makes It Good (HarperOne), is somewhat like listening to a compilation album. All the classic hits are here: “the kingdom of God is for earth now,” “the gospel is the key moment in a story,” “resurrection is about bodies,” “something has happened,” and, of course, the well-loved ballad “fundamentalists and liberals are both missing the point.” For those who are new to Wright, Simply Good News will offer a helpful introduction to and summary of his work. For those who have read plenty of him already, or for those who dislike compilation albums in principle, it will probably have less to offer.
The focus of the book is admirably clear: to explain what the gospel is, and why we should think of it as good news. In eight succinct chapters, Wright explains the nature of good news (chapter one), the essence of what that good news is (chapters two and three) and is not (chapters four and five), and what it means for the way we live now (chapter six), think about God (chapter seven), and pray (chapter eight). Each of these chapters is readable and insightful, characterized by Wright’s familiar mixture of rich scholarship, vivid illustration, and contemporary application.
Read it all.
Andrew Wilson reviews Tom Wright's new book Simply Good News
Reading N. T. Wright’s latest book, Simply Good News: Why the Gospel is News and What Makes It Good (HarperOne), is somewhat like listening to a compilation album. All the classic hits are here: “the kingdom of God is for earth now,” “the gospel is the key moment in a story,” “resurrection is about bodies,” “something has happened,” and, of course, the well-loved ballad “fundamentalists and liberals are both missing the point.” For those who are new to Wright, Simply Good News will offer a helpful introduction to and summary of his work. For those who have read plenty of him already, or for those who dislike compilation albums in principle, it will probably have less to offer.
The focus of the book is admirably clear: to explain what the gospel is, and why we should think of it as good news. In eight succinct chapters, Wright explains the nature of good news (chapter one), the essence of what that good news is (chapters two and three) and is not (chapters four and five), and what it means for the way we live now (chapter six), think about God (chapter seven), and pray (chapter eight). Each of these chapters is readable and insightful, characterized by Wright’s familiar mixture of rich scholarship, vivid illustration, and contemporary application.
Read it all.