Session 6: Transformed by the Renewal of the Mind

Session 6: Transformed by the Renewal of the Mind (pp. 135-179)

1. How does Wright summarize St. Paul’s vision of Christian virtue? Do you have any ideas about what that might look like in our daily lives?

2. Summarize Wright’s interpretation of Colossians 3:2.  According to Colossians, what are the virtues that we are called to “put on”?

3. Why is Abraham so important for Paul? How might Abraham be a model for us as we strive to have our minds renewed and think in a different way?

4. According to Wright, what is Paul’s view of the conscience? How or why might conscience be or become unreliable?

5. According to Wright, Paul’s whole vision of Christian virtue is about being remade in God’s image or, in other words, becoming truly human. (pg. 168). How does Paul and/or Wright think that we can achieve this? How do you think it might be achieved?

6. What do you make of Ephesians 4:13-5:20? Do you agree with Wright that “Paul” is offering “habits of heart and mind, ways of learning how to think Christianly about the ultimate future and about the pathway toward it – the pathway which is, as it were, a daily resurrection”?

7. For Paul, what is the role of suffering in the development of Christian character?

Session 5: The Kingdom Coming and the People Prepared

Our reading group resumes on Wednesday, but only the evening session. The morning session is canceled because of Vacation Bible School.

Here are the discussion questions for Chapter 4:

Session 5: The Kingdom Coming and the People Prepared (pp.101-133)

1. What is Wright referring to when on page 103 he writes, “The fact that it’s all been selected and arranged doesn’t mean it’s all been made up”? According to Wright what is the “larger truth” that modern scholarship seems to miss?

2. What is Jesus’ “program” for God’s kingdom as found in the Beatitudes? How is this program to be put into effect?

3. Why does Wright quote (on pg. 115) Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s summary of Jesus’ call, “Come and die”? What does this mean in the context of Jesus’ death and the Christian life?

4. Summarize Wright’s interpretation of Jesus’ saying about clean and unclean foods. According to Wright, what is Jesus’ purpose in teaching people that uncleanness comes from within?

5. On page 126 Wright claims, “Jesus as a ’moral example’ is a domesticated Jesus, a kind of religious mascot.” What does he mean by this? How does he believe Jesus should serve as an example for us? Do you agree or not? Why?

Session 4: Priests and Rulers

Session 4: Priests and Rulers (pp. 73-100)

1. What do you make of Wright’s understanding of creation and the role of “Human” in it? What does he see as the role of Jesus and his followers?

2. What does Wright mean when he writes that humanity has both a royal and priestly vocation? How does he support this notion by drawing on Scripture? Is this a vocation that you might feel called to? What would that look like in your life?

3. Pay close attention to Wright’s summary on pp. 84-85 of the “large slowly-developing story” of God’s interaction with the world. How do you respond to this telling of the story?

4. How does Wright describe the function and meaning of the Temple? How do you respond to his description of Jesus as “fulfilled Israel”?

5. According to St. Paul, how do we prepare for the goal of our “glorification”?

"Moral Dystopia"

Very relevant piece from Maureen Dowd in last Sunday's NY Times.

Dowd quotes from James Davison Hunter, professor at the University of Virginia and author of "The Death of Character":

"We've moved from a culture of character to a culture of personality. The etymology of the word character is that it's deeply etched, not changeable in all sorts of circumstances. We don't want to think of ourselves as transgressive or bad, but we tend to personalize our understanding of the good."





Check out the whole piece here:
"Moral Dystopia" by Maureen Dowd

Video of NT Wright Discussing After You Believe

At last night's discussion, a member of the group mentioned that he had watched a You Tube video of Wright discussing After You Believe at the Ethical Culture Society in New York.

Here is the video (which is about 45 minutes long):

Session 3: The Transformation of Character

Session 3: The Transformation of Character (pp. 27-71)

1. What do you make of Wright’s description of Human character: “…the pattern of thinking and acting which runs right through someone, so that wherever you cut into them (as it were), you see the same person through and through” (pg. 27)?

2. According to Wright how is Christian character transformed? What is the goal we should be aiming for? Do you agree?

3. On page 51 Wright describes the “general position” that many people believe “Christian living ought to be about.” According to Wright, what are the sources of this thinking? What are the problems he sees with it? Is this how you or others you know think or have thought Christian living is all about? Is Wright correct in criticizing this point of view?

4. Why has virtue been out of fashion in much of Western Christianity since the 16^th Century Reformation? How does Wright counter this Protestant discomfort with virtue by tying it to the famous verse John 3:16? Do you find this convincing and/or appealing?

5. What are the two visions of the Christian goal described on pg. 66? What do you think of them? What does Wright think of them? What does Wright offer in their place?

Session 2: What am I Here For?

Session 2: What Am I Here For? (pp. 1-26)

1. Have you ever asked yourself, what am I here for? What kinds of answers have you come up with?

2. Have you found it true that many Christians think that you can believe in Jesus and then really do nothing else? Do you believe that transformation is necessary and/or possible?

3. What does Wright mean by, “In the last analysis, what matters after you believe is neither rules nor spontaneous self-discovery, but character?” (pg. 7)

4. What do you think of the examples Wright uses to describe the damage done when people lack character? What examples would you add to his list?

5. How does Wright define virtue? What do you think of the example he gives? Would you have thought of Capt. Sullenberger as virtuous? Can you think of other examples of virtue in this sense?