Wright on Time...

This will be my last post for a while. Getting ready to begin my sabbatical and I think that will also include a great absence of blogging.

I thought this was interesting.

My friends at Westminster Bookstore published a suggested reading list compiled by Tim Keller. I was troubled to read his carte blanche approval of NT Wright's, "Surprised By Hope."

Keller writes,

"It's always a little dangerous to recommend a book I haven't read yet, but I suggest it because it is basically a shorter and more accessible summary of his bigger classic The Resurrection of the Son of God (see below), which is wonderful but very long and academic."

The new 9Marks Journal came out today and includes a review of the same book by Tom Schreiner. His conclusion?

"Wright appeals to many because he is brilliant and fascinating, and some of what he says is helpful. Nevertheless, his failure to emphasize the centrality of the gospel is troubling, and pastors who find his work illuminating need to be careful that they do not veer away from their central task of proclaiming the good news to a lost generation." (read the rest of the review for other concerns)

Schreiner hits the nail on the head. Wright can be wonderfully helpful in places... and, in my opinion, winsomely dead wrong in others. It is not pastorally wise to commend his work - especially when you have not read it yet!*

*Keller does say he has read the larger work upon which Surprised by Hope is based.

Feeling Vancouver-ish

globeandmail.com: Toronto teen bowled over by lightning:

"Already this June, Toronto has seen 11 rainy days – double the month's usual amount."

Survey Shows U.S. Religious Tolerance - NYTimes.com

Survey Shows U.S. Religious Tolerance - NYTimes.com:

In the category of, "Not Much Shocking About This... Sadly...

"Although a majority of Americans say religion is very important to them, nearly three-quarters of them say they believe that many faiths besides their own can lead to salvation, according to a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

The report, titled U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, reveals a broad trend toward tolerance and an ability among many Americans to hold beliefs that might contradict the doctrines of their professed faiths.

For example, 70 percent of Americans affiliated with a religion or denomination said they agreed that “many religions can lead to eternal life,” including majorities among Protestants and Catholics. Among evangelical Christians, 57 percent agreed with the statement, and among Catholics, 79 percent did.

Among minority faiths, more than 80 percent of Jews, Hindus and Buddhists agreed with the statement, and more than half of Muslims did."