Simply Jesus: A New Vision of Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters

From one of the world's most respected Bible scholars comes a thought-provoking response to a pressing question: After 200 years of critical Bible scholarship, how can 21st-century believers communicate the mission, accomplishments, and relevance of Jesus Christ to a world that doesn't know him? n nThe classic work available in paperback for the first time: The Renowned Bible scholar, Anglican bishop, and bestselling author N. T. Wright breaks down the barriers that prevent us from fully engaging with the story of Jesus in the Bible to reveal a breathtaking vision of Christ that matches the needs and complexities of our time.n nWe have grown used to the battles over Jesus--whether he was human or divine, whether he could do miracles or just inspire them, whether he even existed. Much of the church defends tradition, while critics take shots at the institution and its beliefs. But what if these debates have masked the real story of Jesus?n nWright summarizes a lifetime of study of Jesus and the New Testament in order to present for a general audience who Jesus was and is. In Simply Jesus, we are invited to hear one of our leading scholars introduce the story of the carpenter's son from Nazareth as if we were hearing it for the first time.n nJesus--the Jesus we might discover if we really looked, explains Wright, is larger, more disturbing, more urgent than we had ever imagined. . . . It is we, the churches, who have been the real reductionists. We have reduced the kingdom of God to private piety; the victory of the cross to comfort for the conscience; Easter itself to a happy, escapist ending after a sad, dark tale. Piety, conscience, and ultimate happiness are important, but not nearly as important as Jesus himself. As the church faces the many challenges of the twenty-first century, Wright presents a vision of Jesus that more than meets them.n