Tag Archives: Christopher Wright

The Grand Metanarrative of the Bible

Starting in mid-May the PRV family is going to start a series on the grand metanarrative of the Bible.

  • How the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation speaks of God’s rule and reign (i.e. the Kingdom of God).
  • How we are to enter into His story versus trying to live our own (or buying into other ‘stories’ like the American Dream).

In preparation for this series, I read Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen’s book “The Drama of Scripture.” Drawing from N.T. Wright’s model of the five-act structure, these two Redeemer University College professors lay out an easy-to-read view of the Kingdom of God throughout the Bible.

  • Act 1: God Establishes His Kingdom: Creation
  • Act 2: Rebellion in the Kingdom: Fall
  • Act 3: The King Choose Israel: Redemption Initiated
  • Interlude: A Kingdom Story Waiting for an Ending: The Intertestamental Period
  • Act 4: The Coming of the King: Redemption Accomplished
  • Act 5: Spreading the News of the King: The Mission of the Church
  • Act 6: The Return of the King: Redemption Completed

Written in a prose format for first-year college students, this book reads like a story – giving the read a good foundation of the entire Bible.

One of the best parts of the book is the “Interlude” chapter as it helps tie the Old Testament together with the New Testament. This period is one of the most over-looked periods in history as a lot of Protestant Christians forget that God was at work during the four-hundred year gap between Malachi and Matthew. (I say “Protestant Christians” because our Catholic and Eastern Orthodox family include the Maccabees and other intertestamental books in their Bibles.)

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God’s Grand Plan

epicI am hereby dubbing 2010 as the “Year of the Big Picture” as I have read three thick books seeking to tell the grand story of the Bible.

The first one was “The Mission of God” by Christopher Wright and was read in the neonatal intensive care unit while cradling my newborn son. (sadly, I have not gotten around to writing a review of this book even though it was the best one of the three – that and it is the only book I’ve read that actually made me WANT to go back and read Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy!!!).

Months later I read Daniel Fuller’s book “The Unity of the Bible” – which proved to be less about the unity of the Bible and more about a Calvinist approach to theology.

The last overarching book was written in a totally different manner then the other two and is the subject of this post. As you probably guessed by the image on the right, the book in question is God’s EPIC Adventure” by Winn Griffin.

Written more as a text book with wide margins,  side notes and study questions, “God’s EPIC Adventure” seeks to challenge the fragmentation of the biblical story in modern society by teaching the church to understand what “her story is and how to become the people of God living as his recreated humanity”.

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What are the most influential books in your life?

It is no secret that I am a bibliophilia (i.e. a lover of books). It is a strange thing as I used to hate books – that is until 4th grade when my brother and his best friend turned me onto Louis L’Amour. The rest, they say, is history.

Recently a friend was asked what where the top 10 influential books in his life – a task that proved to be very difficult. So much so that he decided to limit himself to 22 books.  Today I have decided to follow his example and list the top ten most influential books in my life (and yes, I have kept my list to 10).  🙂

The Short List (i.e. this is my running list of books that have had the most impact on my life)

1) “From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya : A Biographical History of Christian Missions” by Ruth Tucker (1989)

This book fueled my love of following the Goose to the crazy parts of the world. It also started me on the journey of enlarging my view of the Global Church.

2) “Foxe’s Book of Martyrsby John Foxe (1563)

A faith builder for sure. Oh to have a faith like these saints! May the Lord grant me the strength to stand firm each day.

3) “Breakthrough: Discovering the Kingdom” by Derek Morphew (1991)

Kingdom Theology 101: Probably the most influential theological book I have ever read. Continue reading What are the most influential books in your life?