Posted on 02/08/2008 7:25:41 PM PST by 49th
"Tom" Wright is one of the most formidable figures in the world of Christian thought. As Bishop of Durham, he is the fourth most senior cleric in the Church of England and a major player in the strife-riven global Anglican Communion; as a much-read theologian and Biblical scholar he has taught at Cambridge and is a hero to conservative Christians worldwide for his 2003 book The Resurrection of the Son of God, which argued forcefully for a literal interpretation of that event.
TIME: At one point you call the common view of heaven a "distortion and serious diminution of Christian hope."
Wright: It really is. I've often heard people say, "I'm going to heaven soon, and I won't need this stupid body there, thank goodness.' That's a very damaging distortion, all the more so for being unintentional. [...] At no point do the resurrection narratives in the four Gospels say, "Jesus has been raised, therefore we are all going to heaven." It says that Christ is coming here, to join together the heavens and the Earth in an act of new creation. [...] There is Luke 23, where Jesus says to the good thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in Paradise." But in Luke, we know first of all that Christ himself will not be resurrected for three days, so "paradise" cannot be a resurrection. It has to be an intermediate state. [...] Yes, you might get disappointment in the case where somebody has recently gone through the death of somebody they love and they are wanting simply to be with them. And I'd say that's understandable. But the end of Revelation describes a marvelous human participation in God's plan.
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
Good author. I read his books, “The People of God”, “Jesus, the Victory of God”, and “The Resurrection of the Son of God”. Good historical writing and very thought provoking.
The headline is a diversion from the content of the dissertation.
Very refreshing in light of some of the things that the Archbishop of Canterbury has been saying lately. Good to know England still has a few decent Christians left in her Church.
The title was a little misleading....I’d say that is what most people believe, christians true believers know we won’t be floating around on little clouds holding harps....it will be so much better than we can even imagine.
I learned a lot about the melting pot of Judaism, Hellenism, and the Roman Empire that the Lord was born into. It prompted me to want to learn a lot more about life and times at that point in history. These books were an impetus for me to pursue more historical information and writings.
Got your attention. ;-)
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He is right! The earth will be restored and the meek will inherit it.
Are you telling me we’re not getting 72 black eyed virgins?
Very nice read. Might not this fit better in the Religion forum?
All the same, thanks for sharing it.
I know, it’s Time’s headline, not mine. I don’t editorialize articles I post.
he’s entitled to his interpretation and i’m entitled to mine. we’ll see who’s more correct.
Walter, one of Jeff Dunham’s characters, wonders why they wouldn’t rather have 72 slutty whores who at least know what they are doing. B-)
Poor reasoning and logic.
Wright: Yes. If there's going to be an Armageddon, and we'll all be in heaven already or raptured up just in time, it really doesn't matter if you have acid rain or greenhouse gases prior to that. Or, for that matter, whether you bombed civilians in Iraq. All that really matters is saving souls for that disembodied heaven.
Left wing nonsense.
Yes, the resurrection of the body is a traditional Christian teaching with biblical support. There are two ancient doctrines, related but different: the immortality of the soul, and the resurrection of the body. Traditional Christians believe in both.
Jesus said to the Good Thief on the cross next to Him, “Tonight you will be with me in Paradise.” So this and other passages led to the traditional belief that the soul after death goes directly to God for individual judgment, and then will reunite with the resurrected body at the Last Judgment. Those are the teachings of the Fathers, the early Creeds, and the Catholic Church, as well as Protestants who still read their Bibles.
Fascinating piece, thank you for posting.
Wright: Yes. If there's going to be an Armageddon, and we'll all be in heaven already or raptured up just in time, it really doesn't matter if you have acid rain or greenhouse gases prior to that. Or, for that matter, whether you bombed civilians in Iraq. All that really matters is saving souls for that disembodied heaven.
While it is true we are to be good stewards of the earth, the idea this guy is putting out that "acid rain" and "greenhouse gases" will make it harder for God to create the new heavens and the new earth is idiotic.
And why do I suspect that when he refers to bombing "civilians" in Iraq, he is not talking about jihadist terrorists but rather the U.S. military?
2 Peter 3: "the day of the Lord will come as a theif in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the words that are in it will be burned up."
Rev 21: "I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away"
You didn’t actually read the article, did you?
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