More on Wright vs. Piper: Justification and the New Perspective on Paul
Trevin Wax has posted an interview he conducted with N. T. Wright. The topic is Wright’s upcoming response to John Piper’s book on the topic of justification, and the New Perspective on Paul.
Denny Burk posted his reflections on the interview. He contends that Wright misreads (or misrepresents) Piper on some key points.
Piper has posted a PDF of his book on his ministry’s website, to download and read for free. (How cool is that?)
(HT: Between Two Worlds)
How interesting that two theologians that are so widely admired and read are engaged in such a big debate.
I am currently reading Wright’s “Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church.”
This is my first read of Wright’s work, but I am favorably inclined toward him in general. Similarly though, I am favorably inclined toward Piper; so I feel like I’m running through a theological gauntlet between the two men, as each throws blows at the other.
This book isn’t related to the NPP debate directly, but rather is more eschatological and missiological in scope. However, I am currently doing some personal studies in Revelation and eschatology, so this seemed an appropriate place to start with Wright’s work.
I’ll post some thoughts on the book either as I make my way through it, or when I finish it later!
My name is Aaron Rathburn. I am a senior in philosophy at Calvin College, and formerly studied at Trinity School of Theology (Wales, UK). I am a husband, and father of two. This site is a collection of musings on theology, culture, and more. 
I have Wright’s Jesus and the Victory of God. I have not been able to read it yet, but browse through it.
I love Piper in general, but I wonder if he is doing the thing most reformed theologians due when ‘new’ things pop up – they discard mainly out of fear. Despite things like the present day movements of the Spirit, and even documented testimony, many reformed people continue to be cautious because of the dangers that could happen. Dangers always take place, but that doesn’t mean we negate something.
Anyways, I just wonder if Wright is asking us to consider something fresh in his books, and Piper is a little too anxious by it. I don’t know, I’ll just have to read and see.
Yeah, absolutely. As much as I like Piper, I definitely disagree with him on some points. He interprets Romans 7 meaning a “dual nature,” and he is also premillennial, eschatologically.
The Reformed camp is definitely reactionary. Things of the Spirit, ecclesiology, the “regulative principle,” all of that distances me from the truly reformed camp. Recently, Westminster Theological Seminary just fired Pete Enns for his controversial scholarship that was a little too “progressive” for their reformed heritage. WTS was at the top of my list for seminary after Calvin College, but now it is off completely.
I used to consider myself quite strongly reformed— but I have since learned that I as much as I do, personally, identify myself as such, the reformed camp itself would disown me as a heretic
.
So, as much as I genuinely love guys like Piper, Grudem, Sproul, et al., I am certain they would not necessarily “love” me.
I am still cautious of the NPP, but Michael Bird has offered some recent scholarship to try and amalgamate both the new and old perspectives, and see what they can each offer.