Surprised by Hope Part 1: A Gnostic in Orthodox Clothing?

N.T. Wright’s new book on heaven, resurrection and the basis for Christian hope was borne out of his conviction that there are two broad misunderstandings currently at work with regard to popular Christian eschatology. In this post, I will treat the first which I have called "A Gnostic in Orthodox Clothing."

This view is (typically) that of the conservative Biblicist who, though he/she believes firmly in the bodily resurrection of Jesus, misunderstands greatly the significance and implications of that event. For this group of people, Jesus’ rise from the grave amounts to little more than a decisive demonstration of God’s power--a confirmation of the atoning efficaciousness of Good Friday. Further, the logic of this group usually follows the pattern that, "Jesus resurrection proves that there is a heaven, and the reward of every Christian soul will be to (someday) follow Jesus to that place after death."

In the interest of evenhandedness, I'll point out a few of the strengths of this position:

• Belief in the power of God to raise Jesus from the dead (over-against those who dismiss such an accomplishment on 'scientific' grounds)
• A commitment to reading the gospel accounts as if they (more or less) accurately record actual historical events
• Belief in God's commitment to the plight of human beings and His atoning action

There may be others, but these are the major ones that I see. Now, let's look at some of the weaknesses of this position:

• An insufficient understanding of Jesus' Jewishness and the significance thereof
• A shallow understanding of the history of Israel with regard to the categorical importance of the title "Messiah" or "Christ"
• A complete misunderstanding of the function of 'resurrection' in the minds of the Biblical authors
• A misreading of many parables and Matthews phrase "Kingdom of Heaven" as having an "end times" referent
  
• In the more extreme versions of this position (see the absurdly popular "Left Behind" series as a categorical exemplar), a complete abdication of earthly Christan responsibility to any other task than "soul-saving"
• An intractable spirit/matter dualism--more the product of Platonic heritage than Biblical study--in which the important aspect of salvation is the soul's eventual escape to an otherworldly paradise (heaven).

There are other weakness of this position, friends. And I wish I could say Wright is off course in his assessment. The problem is that this kind of eschatology is my heritage--and it is certainly the heritage of many within my Non-denominational/Evangelical Free/Baptist tradition.

Out of the entire list, the last is the most disturbing of all because it unknowingly dismantles the basis for and the sustenance of Christian hope. The logic often goes something like this:

We are saved (to a non-physical heaven in the future)
by grace through faith (so none or our deeds actually matter in an eternal sense)
and nothing can snatch us from the Father's hand. (so endure this difficult physical life and look forward to the spiritual life of the future)
And, someday, when we get to heaven (the really important thing about living life in the first place)
we'll just praise God all day long (because we're unclear about what life hereafter would entail other than that).

Granted, there are variations within this stream of thought; but I'm confident that the above description is not a straw man. In the coming days I will treat each of the issues this position raises in greater detail.

It should be said at this point that my own interaction with Wright's book is one of (nearly) unanimous agreement. For those who have discussed these issues with me in the past, that will come as little surprise for two reasons. First you've heard me squawk endlessly about the need for a shift in Christian eschatological view and praxis. Wright simply stated the issues in a more eloquent, organized and succinct manner than I could have. Second, Wright is as good a Biblical scholar as there is in the field--his depth of wisdom and insight is the product of both lifelong academic study and lifelong pastoral responsibility. His commitment to both is the reason I've come to trust his point of view to such a large extent.

I look forward to interaction with any and everyone on these issues. As Christians, I firmly believe we can't make sense of the present until we know where it's going.