After You Believe Book Review

Brevan Jasper

Dr. Shim

Biblical Foundations

October 25, 2015

After You Believe We, as Christians, stand on the edge of a river bank saved, looking across to the other bank, to the end goal, eternal life. We know in our hearts we will get there, but what do we do in-between and what is the point of it if we are already saved? N. T. Wright, the author of After You Believe, tells us of a lost bridge over the river that has been lost through a misguided line of thinking. This great book is based on Christians hope ought not to be simply to be saved but instead resurrecting into God’s new creation. Many Christians see the only point of being a Christian is to receive eternal life one day, and as Wright says, take a few along also. The main factor

They never taught about the future of God’s kingdom on the earth. Wright then established three goals excepted by the majority of Christians pertaining to the future of God’s kingdom on earth: The goal is heaven, Jesus achieved eternal life for us on the cross, and as Christians we out to anticipate Jesus’ return, and avoid contamination of the worldly desires. He then condemns this line of thinking and repurposes his three views of what is right: We will be risen from the dead and be given authority in the new heaven and new earth, “[it] is achieved through the kingdom-establishing work of Jesus and the Spirit (Wright).” “Christian living in the present consists of anticipating this ultimate reality through the Spirit-led, habit-forming, truly human practice of faith, hope, and love, sustaining Christians in their calling to worship God and reflect his glory into the world (Wright).” In conclusion we should strive towards the restoration of God’s

We learn from him that virtue is about developing character in the present that anticipates the future. Although we are living in total depravity, we are called to put on some behaviors and put to death others. Both of these require intentional effort, and Wright comments they ought to be done in community- supporting one another. Wright notes that a very important aspect of building virtue is the mind. Wright encourages us to fully engage our minds, not doing so is not growing into a full human being. Wright also points out that we, in today’s society, often say this is how I feel, instead of what I think. Our decisions must not be based on emotions, but rather upon thought-out decision based on reasoning. That is virtue in decision making. In the same way, Wright says how we ought to practice the right habits and be prepared for when crisises occur and are able to handle them with virtue. In conclusion, all virtues will not be useful unless one’s mind is completely engaged. Continual time in scripture is very important in engaging one’s mind. The building of character is continued through 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter of the Bible. Wright states that Paul was establishing love as a complete humanness. This type of love is in the present, but anticipates the end. Paul continually stresses love’s permanence even though it is a virtue of the present. Wright states that love is our destiny in Jesus