Book Review: The Last Word

Another long overdue book review. I finished this in May of 2009. Here's my thoughts from Goodreads that I'd saved as a blog post over a year ago.

Whatever you may think of his works on justification, Wright certainly has written much that benefits believers, including his more popular works such as his For Everyone commentary series. This particular book is about the authority of Scripture and is intended for the non-academic.

The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture by N.T. Wright



Fantastic overview of the place of scripture in the life of the church. Wright examines the phrase "the authority of scripture" and details how it is more about the relationship of the Father as revealed in the Son working through the Spirit to communicate and complete His work in the world than it is about oft misunderstood words like inerrancy and infallibility. Wright touches on recent scholarship as well as plenty of historical context and church history. I learned that to the Reformers, a "literal" reading meant the original literary intent of the text (metaphorical, pastoral, narrative, etc.) rather than what we think of today when we speak of "reading the Bible literally" and all the negative associations. Wright encourages his readers to encounter scripture holistically, in its context and proper framework, by hearing the word proclaimed in and through the church, and encourages liturgical efforts while not downplaying the importance of personal study.

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