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Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright
lneff514's review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyed this book... my first NT Wright book to read.
reubs_w's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
Tom Wright at his best. Every Christian should read this book. The takedown of the platonisation of the gospel, his call to mission, his call to re-highlight Easter is beautiful.
I critique some of his takes in being either too tame, too much of a stretch, or not going into the detail I would’ve wanted (but that is to be expected)
I am shocked that Rob Bell recommended this book in ‘love wins’ because Wright’s point hardly aligns with his at the end.
I critique some of his takes in being either too tame, too much of a stretch, or not going into the detail I would’ve wanted (but that is to be expected)
I am shocked that Rob Bell recommended this book in ‘love wins’ because Wright’s point hardly aligns with his at the end.
glendonrfrank's review against another edition
4.0
I've finally returned to this one! By which I mean I still technically have a chapter or so to go but, I wanted to log it because my thoughts are pretty well made.
I first read Surprised by Hope in the first year of my undergrad and really did not enjoy it. For the life of me, I can not articulate to you why that was. I managed to dig up the paper I wrote on the book, and while it's not an overly negative review, there is a lot of passive-aggressive distancing between 18-year-old me and Wright's views. I distinctly at one point recall looking up Wright online and determining (almost assuredly from angry fundamentalists) that Wright was a heretic. But it wasn't like I held really tightly to a literalist spiritual view of heaven at that point? I really don't know what I was so angry about. The best I can tell is that I was really thrown off by Wright's diction, which is a valid criticism, but apparently, then I was very heated about a guy using long sentences. Alas, I basically haven't been able to stop thinking about the core themes of this book since reading it some six years ago and it's slowly crept through my entire worldview until I just had to go and give it another shot. I don't know if that's a credit to Wright's compelling argumentation or the mentors I've had along the way, but either way, this felt something like a homecoming.
To be clear, this is a very good book. Wright covers his bases thoroughly and makes sure every point is well-researched and well-supported. His structure lends itself well to his study, moving from the resurrection itself to the direct consequences of that resurrection to the missional consequences. Wright compellingly insists upon the necessity of physical restoration as a bedrock to the New Testament believers, demonstrating how combatting the dualism of modern spiritualism creates a stunning new view on life. If matter matters, then the things we do on Earth and the way we engage in society on Earth has fundamental importance. As my own views on the world have changed in the past six years, this has gone from a vaguely comforting notion to a radicalizing maxim. I think at 18, the idea that the Christian's goal was "New Earth" and not "Heaven" was a fun way of splitting hairs and correcting people at dinner parties (did I go to dinner parties at 18?). Now, as Wright correctly argues, it is transformative. Not only does it create an afterlife that is actually attractive, rather than abstractly harmonious, it also creates a reason to live. A reason to fight for justice and order and goodness and rightness in our present world.
The central criticism I have of Wright's work does go back to my 18-year-old self's frustrations, which is that this isn't exactly an approachable work. Wright is definitely writing to theologians, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it does make me sad because this is *the* definitive book about these issues and I find it hard to recommend to the youth I regularly come across who ought to read it. I appreciate Wright's work a hell of a lot more after six years of studying poetry and Biblical exegesis; but I think even if I myself were to hand it over to the Me at 18 years old, he would still give up halfway through in frustrating and begin skimming to the end. The joke's on him, I suppose, because six years later I can't find a whole lot to disagree with Wright on.
I first read Surprised by Hope in the first year of my undergrad and really did not enjoy it. For the life of me, I can not articulate to you why that was. I managed to dig up the paper I wrote on the book, and while it's not an overly negative review, there is a lot of passive-aggressive distancing between 18-year-old me and Wright's views. I distinctly at one point recall looking up Wright online and determining (almost assuredly from angry fundamentalists) that Wright was a heretic. But it wasn't like I held really tightly to a literalist spiritual view of heaven at that point? I really don't know what I was so angry about. The best I can tell is that I was really thrown off by Wright's diction, which is a valid criticism, but apparently, then I was very heated about a guy using long sentences. Alas, I basically haven't been able to stop thinking about the core themes of this book since reading it some six years ago and it's slowly crept through my entire worldview until I just had to go and give it another shot. I don't know if that's a credit to Wright's compelling argumentation or the mentors I've had along the way, but either way, this felt something like a homecoming.
To be clear, this is a very good book. Wright covers his bases thoroughly and makes sure every point is well-researched and well-supported. His structure lends itself well to his study, moving from the resurrection itself to the direct consequences of that resurrection to the missional consequences. Wright compellingly insists upon the necessity of physical restoration as a bedrock to the New Testament believers, demonstrating how combatting the dualism of modern spiritualism creates a stunning new view on life. If matter matters, then the things we do on Earth and the way we engage in society on Earth has fundamental importance. As my own views on the world have changed in the past six years, this has gone from a vaguely comforting notion to a radicalizing maxim. I think at 18, the idea that the Christian's goal was "New Earth" and not "Heaven" was a fun way of splitting hairs and correcting people at dinner parties (did I go to dinner parties at 18?). Now, as Wright correctly argues, it is transformative. Not only does it create an afterlife that is actually attractive, rather than abstractly harmonious, it also creates a reason to live. A reason to fight for justice and order and goodness and rightness in our present world.
The central criticism I have of Wright's work does go back to my 18-year-old self's frustrations, which is that this isn't exactly an approachable work. Wright is definitely writing to theologians, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it does make me sad because this is *the* definitive book about these issues and I find it hard to recommend to the youth I regularly come across who ought to read it. I appreciate Wright's work a hell of a lot more after six years of studying poetry and Biblical exegesis; but I think even if I myself were to hand it over to the Me at 18 years old, he would still give up halfway through in frustrating and begin skimming to the end. The joke's on him, I suppose, because six years later I can't find a whole lot to disagree with Wright on.
davehershey's review against another edition
5.0
NT Wright works hard to get across the point that the ultimate goal of Christianity is not to simply go to heaven when you die but rather to rise to new life, of which Jesus' resurrection is the "firstfruits" in a new heaven and new earth. Numerous biblical texts (1 Corinthians 15, Revelation 21-22, the gospel accounts of resurrection, etc.) teach this truth but have either been reinterpreted in much of modern (evangelical) Christianity to mean "going to heaven" or ignored in other parts of (liberal) Christianity because modern enlightened people know the dead do not rise (as if the ancients thought it was common!). The truth is that there is a "life after life after death" when heaven and earth are transformed and the glory of God covers creation as the water covers the sea. Rock on.
Wright does not stop there though. He shows how a vigorous belief in Jesus' resurrection and in the future resurrection of bodies and renewal of creation affects how we live in the present. When we get the theology right we have the best motivation for mission that encompasses justice, beauty and evangelism.
NT Wright is a favorite of mine and his books have taught me a lot and challenged me as a follower of Jesus. I highly recommend this book for pastors and other church leaders, as well as any Christians who enjoy a good read. If you are new to Wright a better place to start is probably Simply Christian or Evil and the Justice of God.
Wright does not stop there though. He shows how a vigorous belief in Jesus' resurrection and in the future resurrection of bodies and renewal of creation affects how we live in the present. When we get the theology right we have the best motivation for mission that encompasses justice, beauty and evangelism.
NT Wright is a favorite of mine and his books have taught me a lot and challenged me as a follower of Jesus. I highly recommend this book for pastors and other church leaders, as well as any Christians who enjoy a good read. If you are new to Wright a better place to start is probably Simply Christian or Evil and the Justice of God.
adamschoenmaker's review against another edition
5.0
Superb. I felt like I was highlighting and underlining on every page. It is informative, practical, and stirring. A must read.
audriew9's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This book helped shaped my theology around eschatology. Wright steps outside of the American theology around end times and death and takes a look at what the Bible says.
scdominick's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5