Said at Southern Interview N.T. Wright on Justification, Sola Scriptura, and More

Trevin Wax and Tony Kummer (of Said at Southern) recently interviewed N.T. Wright while he was at Asbury Theological Seminary last week. You can download the podcast by clicking here. Trevin has provided a full transcript of the interview as well as individual excerpts. Here’s the breakdown of the interview:

1. Introduction
2. Wright’s conversion, calling, and personal worship
3. Wright on “the gospel”
4. Justification by faith
5. Justification – present and future
6. Justification and the Roman Catholic Church
7. Sola Scriptura
8. Is Wright arrogant to assume he has just now figured out what Paul meant?
9. Wright on his critics
10. Justification in practice
11. Wright on penal substitution
12. Wright on the resurrection
13. Wright on Evangelism
14. Wright on Church and State
15. Upcoming Writings and Conclusion

From Trevin’s Introduction:

N.T. Wright is a British New Testament scholar whom Christianity Today has described as one of the top five theologians in the world today. After serving many years as the canon theologian of Westminster Abbey, Wright became the Bishop of Durham in 2003 – the third highest ranking position of authority in the Church of England.

Tom Wright has spent his life studying the history surrounding the New Testament and early Christianity. He has written several widely-acclaimed books on the historical Jesus as well as many on the Apostle Paul and the New Testament epistles.

Wright has received both praise and criticism for his work. Anne Rice, the author of the Interview with a Vampire series, has credited Wright’s work on the historical Jesus with bringing her back to her Christian faith. Reformed theologian J.I. Packer has described Wright as “brilliant” and “one of God’s best gifts to our decaying Western Church.”

As Bishop of Durham, Wright has been a lightning rod for controversy from both conservatives who take offense with his political views, and from liberals who reject his traditional views on homosexuality.

As a New Testament scholar, Wright has faced criticism from both sides of the theological aisle. Liberal scholars, such as those who make up the infamous “Jesus Seminar” decry Wright’s work on the historical Jesus as much too conservative and traditional. Conservative scholars appreciate his strong defense of the cardinal doctrines of Christianity such as the bodily resurrection of Christ. But many conservatives of the Reformed persuasion are perplexed by Wright’s views on the doctrine of justification and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. Several well-known theologians, such as D.A. Carson, Mark Seifrid, Guy Waters, and now pastor John Piper, have written extensively to refute the “New Perspective on Paul” that Wright advocates.

In our interview with N.T. Wright, we will ask questions that will help illuminate the current discussions within Reformed circles on the legitimacy of Wright’s exegesis of the New Testament texts.