The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture

"But what does Scripture say?" That question has echoed through a thousand debates in the life of the worldwide church in recent decades. All Christian churches are officially signed up to strong statements about the centrality of Scripture and its authority in their mission, life, doctrine, and discipline. But there is no agreement on what this might mean and how it might be worked out in practice. N. T. Wright, Bishop of Durham and widely respected Bible and Jesus scholar, gives new life to the old, tattered doctrine of the authority of Scripture, delivering a fresh, helpful, and concise statement on the current "battles for the Bible," and restoring Scripture as a place to find God's voice. Removing the baggage that the last 100 years of controversy and confusion have placed on this doctrine, he renews our confidence in the Bible, and shows that the Bible can still be an authority that guides our lives.

About the Author :
N.T. Wright is Bishop of Durham and was formerly Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey and dean of Lichfield Cathedral. He taught New Testament studies for twenty years at Cambridge, McGill, and Oxford Universities. Wright's full-scale work, Jesus and the Victory of God, is widely regarded as one of the most significant studies in the contemporary Third Quest of the historical Jesus. It follows The New Testament and the People of God as the second volume in his projected six-volume series entitled Christian Origins and the Question of God. Among his many published works are: The Challenge of Jesus, The Meaning of Jesus (coauthored with Marcus Borg), and What Saint Paul Really Said.

Review :
"The best book of its kind available." -- The Christian Century "N. T. Wright opens for us a path beyond of the paralyzing polarization of "liberal" and "conservative." -- Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christian "In a fashion that is both old fashioned and new fangled at the same time Bishop Wright takes us through a sane and helpful study of what it means to treat the Bible as the authoritative Word of God. Highly Recommended!" -- Ben Witherington, author of The Brother of Jesus "Written by one of the leading Christian thinkers in the world today, this book is a refreshing and accessible resource concerning the perennial question of biblical authority that moves the discussion beyond the liberal-conservative impasse of our times. Highly Recommended." -- John R. Franke, Professor of Theology, Biblical Theological Seminary "[P]robing, provocative, insightful...This is a book of uncommon wisdom for all who read and love the Bible." -- Timothy George, Dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University and Executive Editor of Christianity Today "This wide-ranging whirlwind-tour account of Scripture channeling God's authority, with its tweaking of distortions back into shape and its first-class approach to Bible study, is masterly throughout." -- J. I Packer, Professor of Theology, Regent College "Wright offers sensible insights on the transforming power of God, very necessary in these times of skepticism and confusion." -- Publishers Weekly "Scripture and the Authority of God is a fabulous book. With characteristic verve and occasionally pungent grace... Scripture and the Authority of God could be the beginning of a more faithful listening, as well as sustaining more fruitful conversation about the nature of biblical interpretation." -- Books&Culture "Wright appeals to the reader to take another look at the Bible, not as an isolated phenomenon--a veritable rule book similarly applicable at all times and in all places--but rather as a book better placed within both the contemporary cultural context and as part of a larger tradition of interpretation." -- Explorefaith.org "Wright is a provocative theologian... there is so much here that you will wish that it were longer-- but its brevity makes for easy reading and it certainly deserves to be read." -- Church of England Newspaper "The whole book gives further cause for gratitude for God's gift of Wright to his Church." -- ANVIL