Following Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship

Wright tackles several "third rail" topics of the New Testament, like the books of John and Revelation and the ideas of heaven and hell. I enjoyed his opening remark about John being a lot like his wife whom he loves very much but cannot say that he understands her completely. This candor is greatly appreciated from a scholar of Wrights caliber. We don't often get personal insights from those who are shaping the theological debates today.

A quick and easy read that readers will find rewarding. Highly recommended


I'm hooked   March 18, 2002
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This was the first book that I read by N.T. Wright but it won't be the last. He has a wonderful grasp on scripture and the ability to codify whole books of the New Testament to bring out its central theme. He is very easy to read but not "light". By the end of the book I felt like he was "my" pastor. My favorite chapter was "Hebrews", a book I have enjoyed for years but felt I was missing some of the richness. I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoys good writing from a solid theologian.


Excellent Sermons by an excellent Scholar   February 16, 2001
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This book shows, what informed theology can achieve for the normal church goer. N.T. Wright uses all his insights as prominent NT scholar, that he is, to share with his readers, what the NT message could be for our time. Following Jesus is the overall theme of his sermons, nonetheless it's not a book about "what would Jesus do" or this kind of stuff. On the contrary it seriously engages with the messages of certain NT books like Hebrews, Matthew, John etc. in the first part. In the second part, Wright elaborates on major NT themes like heaven and hell, resurrection and the new world. Each sermon starts with a close reading of the NT evidence and provides responsible information about the chosen topic. And all of them end in a clear suggestion, what the message means for us today, reaching far beyond any personal ethic, setting the questions in a social and political context, too. You'll never get the impression of being bored, always there's a surprising way of reading NT texts and books. The style is gently British - decent yet convincing. I've seldom read a book, combining so much of scholarly insight and theological reasoning with warm preaching, except for maybe the books by Carlo M. Martini, Archbishop of Milan (Italy) and leading textual critic. I can heartly recommend it to scholar, clergy and layperson alike.


Academically-informed discipleship   December 27, 2000
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

N.T. Wright is one of the few biblical scholars who effectively bridges the gap between the academy and the church. He takes a great interest in fleshing out the effects of his scholarly findings on his day-to-day walk in obedience to Christ. In this series of sermons, certain overriding themes emerge, most importantly, the centrality of the resurrection of Jesus. That will be quite refreshing for those used to the skepticism of other "Jesus scholars" who would deny such a supernatural occurrence. In some instances, he tackles subjects from a non-traditional angle, but he is nothing if not thoroughly biblical, and it is healthy to have one's presuppositions challenged occasionally. This would be an excellent volume for group study, or to supplement any bible study concerning the biblical books and subjects covered here.


Excellent and Inspiring Reflections   May 25, 2000
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Tom Wright shows how biblical scholarship should be done. Not only does he produce heavy weight works (such as "Jesus and the Victory of God" or "The Climax of the Covenant") but also he is at pains to show how the Bible can and should inform our lives today.

It was a bold move to start the book with a chapter on Hebrews, arguably the hardest book in the New Testament (its chief rival for that title would be Revelation, which also gets a chapter). This gamble of faith pays off. Part of the value of this book is the fact that it explores sections of the New Testament canon that are looked at less than they perhaps should be.

The second half of the book contains more thematic treatments. I do not know if Wright would be complimented by this, but I found it very reminiscent of C. S. Lewis (the major difference is that Wright is more biblical - not a bad compliment in my view).

The chapter I most remember is the one on Hell. He helped my to understand this difficult concept in such a way as to be both clear and compassionate.

Excellent, excellent, excellent.