Simply Jesus

Starred review from November 15, 2011
Wright, an Anglican bishop, has written extensively on the life of Jesus. Here, he pulls together threads from previous works, particularly Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church (2008), to explore a new way of looking at Jesus and his purpose. For Wright, the investigations into Jesus' life by those seeking the historical Jesus have added information but missed the mark. Using his own rather informal translation of the gospels, together with his knowledge of Jewish history, memes, and themes, he offers answers to the questions asked in Jesus Christ Superstar: Who are you? And who do you think you are? The answer, quite simply, is the incarnation of God, who burst the boundaries of all expectations and lived and died in the belief that he was embodying the returning, rescuing royal mission of Israel's God. But rather than cloaking this idea in Christian theology, Wright patiently explains the worldviews that Jesus stepped into, how his parables point to his mission, and, finally, what this truth means in today's world. Wright's direct style, reminiscent of C. S. Lewis' writings, invites readers in but allows for internal argument. (It must be said that Wright's extended metaphor about Jesus' life and times as embodying the perfect storm becomes a bit wearying.) In the end, the sovereignty of Jesus is exemplified in ways not all that unexpected: faith without works is dead. Those inclined will see ways to make themselves part of the kingdom.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)