Rating: 
Summary: RESURRECTION TOUR DE FORCE
Review: "The most monumental defense of the Easter heritage in decades ... The Resurrection of the Son of God marches through a clearly organized case that confronts every major doubt about Easter, ancient and modern."
Richard Ostling's (Associated Press) words at the very front of the book, may be the best concise summary for this work.
In any case, Dr. Tom Wright's THE RESURRECTION OF THE SON OF GOD packs an intellectual and apologetic whallop - a virtual death-blow to key points made by liberal scholarship's vital method of demythologization. The third of a six-book series (Christian Origins and the Question of God), it takes the reader through a fantasic exploration of 'resurrection' - through the worlds of antiquity from the second millennium BC to the end of the second century AD. The author investigates the question, "What happened on Easter morning?" by pressing, at the outset, two similar questions: "Why did Christianity appear? And why did it take the shape it did?" In constructing his case, he proceeds to establish the various worldviews (Jewish and non-Jewish) of the ancient Near East, set boundaries (what does 'resurrection' mean for each; how does it differ from other views about post-mortem existence), before actually examining the witness of early Christianity itself (Paul; the Evangelists; other New Testament writings; non-canonical early Christian literature).
The volume is quite long - over 700 pages - but for those willing to endure the journey for its treasures, Wright blazes a trail through a seemingly endless amount of literature: from ancient non-Jewish Mediterranean & Near-Eastern cultures through to ancient Judaism and into inceptive, and developing, Christianity: examining options, hitting upon all relevant communities and assimilating their worldviews and behavior into his argument (there was neither need, nor especially space, to be exhaustive). Wright stops to look at all pertinent letters, gospels and books - inside AND outside the New Testament - observing and expositing within each any 'resurrection' strands, directly or indirectly related ... for thoroughness.
For those unfamiliar with the book, its contents follow this sequence:
(1) Set the Scene, looking at
a. the target and the arrows (the tools and the goal of the historical task) used to investigate Easter;
b. life beyond death in ancient paganism;
c. death and beyond in the Old Testament; and
d. hope beyond death in post-biblical Judaism
(2) Explore 'Resurrection' in Paul
a. outside 1 + 2 Corinthians
b. 'resurrection' in Corinth (1): introduction
c. 'resurrection' in Corinth (2): the key passages
d. when Paul saw Jesus
(3) Explore 'Resurrection' in Early Christianity (Apart from Paul)
a. hope refocused (1): Gospel traditions outside the Easter narratives
b. hope refocused (2): other New Testament writings
c. hope refocused (3): non-canonical early Christian texts
d. hope in person: Jesus as Messiah and Lord
(4) Examine the Story of Easter
a. general issues in the Easter stories
b. fear and trembling: Mark
c. earthquakes and angels: Matthew
d. burning hearts and broken bread: Luke
e. new day, new tasks: John
(5) Belief, Event and Meaning
a. Easter and history
b. the risen Jesus as the Son of God
In my own study of Jesus' resurrection, this really did turn out to be the book I was looking for. Its study of the nature, stories, praxis, and world-view of historic Judaism and (more particularly) earliest Christianity is insightful, responsible, topically thorough, tremendous in its scope, compelling in its case, powerful in its implications, and surprisingly careful not to resort to reductionistic argumentation. In short: it challenges academia's highest, most sophisticated arguments against the bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
However relatively unknown, THE RESURRECTION OF THE SON OF GOD may be the definitive work on the subject.
This is truly first-rate scholarship through and through.
Five well-deserved stars!
Rating:
Summary: A trenchant analysis of the Resurrection & the early church
Review: As a believing Christian, I have long been curious about the origins and underpinnings of the faith. Even though I attended Catholic school, and have worshipped at Protestant churches for many years, many of my questions about the early church were never fully addressed or properly answered. In "The Resurrection of the Son of God," all of my questions were answered with stunning detail and scholarship. N.T. Wright takes you into the attitudes and beliefs of the Jewish and pagan worlds on the topics of death, and what, if anything, happens to the soul, to set a foundation for the thoughts of the early Christians. The claim of Christ's resurrection is explored from the views of the earliest witnesses and critics. Modern and ancient authors are also considered so as to give a contemporary take on this explosive topic.
Ultimately, Christianity relies upon blind faith, and not scientific proof. For those, however, who do require proof before considering the religion and its claims, this book will offer ample, rational bases for belief. In painstaking detail, the author logically walks through the Bible (Old and New Testaments) to offer a cogent conclusion that Jesus Christ did in fact rise from the dead.
Rating: 
Summary: Another attempt to "prove" Christianity
Review: As a former evangelical I am stunned at the number of books earnestly attempting to "prove" that the Bible, Christianity and Jesus are "true" - whether Noah built an Ark or that Jeshua, the Jewish teacher, was who we claim he was. Indeed, review after review remarks that the author had "proved" the Resurrection. But originally, people converted because of the lives of Christians - not theology or Resurrections. "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" mentions no virgin birth, hell, Trinity or more important, Resurrection. But the beat goes on.Bringing sociology and anthropology into discussion is a good thing. But one should be honest and admit that the driving force behind Christianity was Greek culture. From Acts, one detects the battle between the two culture that culminated in the second century decree forbidding Jews from converting to Christianity, thus erasing the last vestiage of Jewish influence. Greeks introduced new ideas heretical to Jews - a god could impregnate a woman, Paradise and Hades, the universality of salvation, the idea of a "divine" Messiah...no Jew believed that their Messiah was a god much less a leader of Gentiles. And despite the fancy footwork, there is no avoiding the fact that all four of the Resurrection stories are contradictory in many areas. At some point in the first century, oral traditions were codified into the Gospels. The Resurrection story was told beautifully and authoritatively despite the absence of any witnesses to the event. It was retold, reshaped, redefined and continues to haunt us today as we ponder its meaning.
Rating:
Summary: Another attempt to "prove" Christianity
Review: As a former evangelical I am stunned at the number of books earnestly attempting to "prove" that the Bible, Christianity and Jesus are "true" - whether Noah built an Ark or that Jeshua, the Jewish teacher, was who we claim he was. Indeed, review after review remarks that the author had "proved" the Resurrection. But originally, people converted because of the lives of Christians - not theology or Resurrections. "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" mentions no virgin birth, hell, Trinity or more important, Resurrection. But the beat goes on. Bringing sociology and anthropology into discussion is a good thing. But one should be honest and admit that the driving force behind Christianity was Greek culture. From Acts, one detects the battle between the two culture that culminated in the second century decree forbidding Jews from converting to Christianity, thus erasing the last vestiage of Jewish influence. Greeks introduced new ideas heretical to Jews - a god could impregnate a woman, Paradise and Hades, the universality of salvation, the idea of a "divine" Messiah...no Jew believed that their Messiah was a god much less a leader of Gentiles. And despite the fancy footwork, there is no avoiding the fact that all four of the Resurrection stories are contradictory in many areas. At some point in the first century, oral traditions were codified into the Gospels. The Resurrection story was told beautifully and authoritatively despite the absence of any witnesses to the event. It was retold, reshaped, redefined and continues to haunt us today as we ponder its meaning.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: As a non-Christian, I must say that I was, at first, overwhelmed by the size and scope of this book. The author has such a familiarity with his time period and the sources relevant to it that, at times, it seems almost unreal (even super-human). His entire project has been ambitious to say the least and this last volume has been no exception. Essentially, Wright starts by analyzing the pagan worldview as it was (theoretically speaking) around the time of Jesus. As noted above, his command of the literature is impressive, he gives a convincing portrait of what a pagan living sometime between 200 BCE and 200 CE would have believed about the nature of life, death and the after-life. It is clear, to the discerning reader, that from the outset his goal will be to show why it is a mistake for scholars to read too much paganism into the early church and, thus, into the New Testament documents themselves. He illustrates this by giving an account of the stories, praxis, questions and answers, and symbols of both second temple Judaism and paganism, and then by arguing that the data of Christian literature proves a best fit within the Jewish worldview. From there, he goes on to show how the Christian story was a linear offshoot of the Jewish story, particularly concerning the resurrection. Christians would have been seen a "radical" Jews by the surrounding Jewish community, because of their beliefs concering the resurrection and the man named Jesus of Nazareth whom, apparently, God had raised from the dead marking the beginning of the kingdom and the promise of a future resurrection for those whom follow the Christ. Wright argues his point by analying the relevant passages themselves and, for the most part, his analysis is brilliant, original and refreshing. However, I still disagree with Wright on many points including his estimation of the pagan influence on early Christianity and, thus, on the writings of the New Testament (particularly Paul) as well as some of his exegesis of Scripture and, ultimately, his conviction that Jesus is the resurrected, divine, Son of God. I suspect that in a conversation he and I would have to agree to disagree: fair enough. After all, Wright's three books are just telling a story, a story from a particular point of view. It is a higly detailed and fairly coherent story, but it is still just a story, one of many. I like that Wright himself admits as much (see book one), and leaves it to the reader to make his decision. I have made mine (for now). I envite you to read this work, for it has the potential to challenge you re-consider the story you now tell, and replace it with something closer to the one Wright wants to tell the world. If this intruigues you, this book is well worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: I have a feeling that the reviewer from Franklin, TN, choosing to be anonymous, did not read Wright's book, and probably didn't read any of Wright's other stuff. As soon I have the chance, I will sit down with volume 1 of the "Christian Origins and the Question of God" series and go through volume 2 and 3 and then I will write a review of each one. Read the stinking book!
Rating: 
Summary: I have a feeling
Review: I have a feeling that the reviewer from Franklin, TN, choosing to be anonymous, did not read Wright's book, and probably didn't read any of Wright's other stuff. As soon I have the chance, I will sit down with volume 1 of the "Christian Origins and the Question of God" series and go through volume 2 and 3 and then I will write a review of each one. Read the stinking book!
Rating:
Summary: Resurrection explained, thoroughly
Review: If you are not reading NT Wright's Seires of Books on the People of the New Testement and the Question Of God, you are not taking your beliefs seriously. Even if you are an atheist, agnostic, liberal or conservative believer. Wright is reframing the discussion about Christianity, if you want to participate in the future discussions you will need to address his arguments. his ideas are a fresh new perspective based on the newest information. How he interpetes the breadth of material will send scholars and theologians running to the presses. This book is the third of the series, and the previous two are required background (New Testament and People of God, Jesus and The Victory of God) You could opt for the cliff notes version Wright published under the title The Challenge of Jesus, but you miss a lot of impressive analysis. His work is too detailed to offer an adequate summary. He begins by diagraming beliefs about the after life in all the cultures that begat the hotbed of first century Palestine. This begins with Greek, Roman, and other pagan ideas, ending with a survey of NT Gospel, and early 1st - 3rd century writers. Wright gives careful consideration to non cannon works and gnostic literature. His survey is almost too much for an average reader to bear. However, just when you are about to become overwhelmed, Wright begins his analysis and exegesis, both are rewarding and fascinating. He ties the entire survey together along with his two earlier books in the series. At the end you find yourself, not relieved to have finished the 800 page book, but want it to continue for another 8,000. I can't wait to get the next in the series on Paul, you will feel the same excitment.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Argument for the Resurrection
Review: The only reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 was because it was way too long-winded. This is perhaps the editor's fault as well as the writer's.
The author makes the convincing argument that without the actual bodily resurrection of Jesus, Christianity as we know it would not exist.
Wright makes it very clear that resurrection is an actual physical existence or a coming back to earth in a body after your life after death or "life after life after death". It is not a soul or ether ascending to Heaven nor is it a resuscitation of a corpse. It is a complete transformation into an incorruptible physical existence as explained by the Apostle Paul. Christianity is true to its Jewish roots in believing in the physical resurrection which was a foreign idea to gentiles.
Wright talks about the earliest ideas of resurrection developed in Daniel 12:12 and Ezekiel 37 which became more personalized in 2 Maccabees in which martyrs or those suffering from injustice would be vindicated in the world to come by obtaining a new physical but incorruptible life and inheriting a transformed earth.
The resurrection of Jesus was an unexpected event which could not be fully comprehended or explained by the gospel writers. This accounts for the lack of Biblical exegis or implications in the gospel accounts.
The resurrection of Jesus was seen as a renewal of God's covenant not only with Israel but with all of creation as well. It was a restoration of creation. The age to come had entered into the present age. Those belonging to this new covenant were living in the age to come (the Spirit) even though still stuck in the present corruptible age (the flesh) according to Paul. The "Spirit" allows believers to experience the resurrected life in the present life.
Paul's apostleship was never challenged by the other disciples because he had been a witness of the resurrected Jesus. This was a limited event which was witnessed by a limited number of people during a period of time after the crucifixion. Thus, it was not some visionary experience. Paul admits to being unprepared and unworthy of the event since he had not been one of Jesus' followers and had actually persecuted the movement.
One of the best points made in the book was that the doctrine of bodily resurrection was a revolutionary doctrine which led to the persecution of Christians. The idea of a kingdom on earth replacing all other kingdoms could not be tolerated by the Roman authorities. A religion which taught that the souls of the dead would go to some otherworldly place would never pose a threat to authority.
Other than its length and numerous redundancies, this book is definitely worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Argument for the Resurrection
Review: The only reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 was because it was way too long-winded. This is perhaps the editor's fault as well as the writer's.
The author makes the convincing argument that without the actual bodily resurrection of Jesus, Christianity as we know it would not exist.
Wright makes it very clear that resurrection is an actual physical existence or a coming back to earth in a body after your life after death or "life after life after death". It is not a soul or ether ascending to Heaven nor is it a resuscitation of a corpse. It is a complete transformation into an incorruptible physical existence as explained by the Apostle Paul. Christianity is true to its Jewish roots in believing in the physical resurrection which was a foreign idea to gentiles.
Wright talks about the earliest ideas of resurrection developed in Daniel 12:12 and Ezekiel 37 which became more personalized in 2 Maccabees in which martyrs or those suffering from injustice would be vindicated in the world to come by obtaining a new physical but incorruptible life and inheriting a transformed earth.
The resurrection of Jesus was an unexpected event which could not be fully comprehended or explained by the gospel writers. This accounts for the lack of Biblical exegis or implications in the gospel accounts.
The resurrection of Jesus was seen as a renewal of God's covenant not only with Israel but with all of creation as well. It was a restoration of creation. The age to come had entered into the present age. Those belonging to this new covenant were living in the age to come (the Spirit) even though still stuck in the present corruptible age (the flesh) according to Paul. The "Spirit" allows believers to experience the resurrected life in the present life.
Paul's apostleship was never challenged by the other disciples because he had been a witness of the resurrected Jesus. This was a limited event which was witnessed by a limited number of people during a period of time after the crucifixion. Thus, it was not some visionary experience. Paul admits to being unprepared and unworthy of the event since he had not been one of Jesus' followers and had actually persecuted the movement.
One of the best points made in the book was that the doctrine of bodily resurrection was a revolutionary doctrine which led to the persecution of Christians. The idea of a kingdom on earth replacing all other kingdoms could not be tolerated by the Roman authorities. A religion which taught that the souls of the dead would go to some otherworldly place would never pose a threat to authority.
Other than its length and numerous redundancies, this book is definitely worth reading.
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