After You Believe - by N T Wright (Paperback)

About the Book

In the tradition of his award-winning "Surprised by Hope," Bishop Wright once again topples the accepted wisdom about what many people think the Bible teaches.

Book Synopsis

From the author of the acclaimed Simply Christian and Surprised by Hope comes a book that addresses the question that has plagued humans for centuries--what is our purpose? As Christians, what are we to do with that ambiguous time between baptism and the funeral? It's easy to become preoccupied with who gets into heaven; the real challenge is how we are going to live in the here and now. Wright dispels the common misconception that Christian living is nothing more than a checklist of dos and don'ts. Nor is it a prescription to "follow your heart" wherever it may lead. Instead, After You Believe reveals the Bible's call for a revolution--a transformation of character that takes us beyond our earthly pursuit of money, sex, and power into a virtuous state of living that allows us to reflect God and live more worshipful, fulfilling lives.We are all spiritual seekers, intuitively knowing there is more to life than we suspect. This is a book for anyone who is hoping there is something more while we're here on Earth. There is. We are being called to join the revolution, and Wright insightfully encourages readers to find new purpose and clarity by taking us on an eye-opening journey through key biblical passages that promise to radically alter the work of the church and the direction of our lives.

From the Back Cover

From the author of the acclaimed Simply Christian and Surprised by Hope comes a book that addresses the question that has plagued humans for centuries--what is our purpose? As Christians, what are we to do with that ambiguous time between baptism and the funeral? It's easy to become preoccupied with who gets into heaven; the real challenge is how we are going to live in the here and now.

Wright dispels the common misconception that Christian living is nothing more than a checklist of dos and don'ts. Nor is it a prescription to "follow your heart" wherever it may lead. Instead, After You Believe reveals the Bible's call for a revolution--a transformation of character that takes us beyond our earthly pursuit of money, sex, and power into a virtuous state of living that allows us to reflect God and live more worshipful, fulfilling lives.

We are all spiritual seekers, intuitively knowing there is more to life than we suspect. This is a book for anyone who is hoping there is something more while we're here on Earth. There is. We are being called to join the revolution, and Wright insightfully encourages readers to find new purpose and clarity by taking us on an eye-opening journey through key biblical passages that promise to radically alter the work of the church and the direction of our lives.

Review Quotes

"A follow-up to Wright's Simply Christian and Surprised by Hope, this solid volume will appeal to Christians who appreciate biblical interpretation that hews to tradition but incorporates an emphasis on contemporary social justice as an element of Christian virtue." - Publishers Weekly

"Bishop Wright, with his usual wisdom and erudition, shows how an account of the virtues is not only compatible but required by the New Testament understanding of what it means to be a Christian. This important book hopefully will be read by theologian and non-theologian alike." - Stanley Hauerwas, Duke Divinity School

"Bishop Wright has given us here an engaging summons to the moral life, one that moves beyond the reigning paradigms of "be happy" and "keep the rules." This book is about what used to be called sanctification, the shaping of character by the following of Christ. A good primer for anyone who wants to know who Jesus is and what it means to follow him in today's world." - Timothy George, founding dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University and a senior editor of Christianity Today

"A beautiful and important book by a trusted guide to faithful Christian living. Tom Wright offers a powerfully inviting portrait of a well-lived life that combines clear writing, scriptural insight, and wise judgment. His vision is both gentle and radical: gentle in its encouragement to discover a better way to live, yet radical in its challenge to distorted and distorting pictures of Christian life. Ideal for small group discussions as well as for all of us who are seeking a better way to live." - L. Gregory Jones, Dean and Professor of Theology at Duke Divinity School and author of EMBODYING FORGIVENESS

"With characteristic verve and luminous clarity Tom Wright now brings his learning and insight to bear on the complex field of ethics. He slices through both old and new conundrums by using - and renewing - the ancient key of virtue and the transformed character. Here is deep Christian wisdom for a bewildered age." - John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford

"To see Dr. Wright's well-known gifts as a popular Christian writer deployed on the field of Ethics is a stimulating prospect. The energy of argument, enthusiasm for authentic Christian experience, scholarly care and creativity in reading the Bible, well known to his admirers, are all in full evidence here. But he offers us a new point of access to his thinking about the Gospel, and for some it may be the opportunity to make his acquaintance for the first time with this vigorous plea for the character of the Christian moral life and for understanding the Christian moral life as character. Even those ethicists and moral theologians who wish to take a different line of approach will have cause to be grateful to him, for such a thorough engagement at this level with a scholar from another discipline is a rare and precious opportunity." - Oliver O'Donovan, Professor of Christian Ethics, University of Edinburgh

"[A] very rich book.... Readers of After You Believe will admire Wright's close reading of Scripture, his clear prose, and his evident love for his Christian faith." - Commonweal

"Making disciples is about the long-term development of Christian character. There is no quick fix discipleship. It is the development of Christlike behavior as second nature. This book spells out the New Testament basis and its application to Western culture." - Christianity Magazine

"Those who tend toward legalistic views will find little comfort. It is a book worth considering." - Renewed in Spirit

"As in all Wright books... you need to build your virtue muscle, sit down, exercise your free will and make a decision to read the whole thing... twice." - Worship Leader Magazine

"In his latest book, After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters, Wright challenges the church--and broader society in general--to return to virtue and the development of character." - Sojourners

"Have you ever thought: 'I know I'm a Christian, but there has to be more to Christian living than waiting around for heaven'? If so, After You Believe is the book for you. Bishop N. T. Wright (Anglican Bishop of Durham, England) has taken up the topic that most Protestants ignored or vilified for the last 500 years: good works. . . . Overall this is a good, informative book." - The San Francisco Examiner

"One reason so many people read Tom Wright today is because he can write prose that is flat-out captivating. . . . Vintage Wright." - Christianity Today.com

"One of the world's best published Scripture scholars and an Anglican bishop, N. T. Wright's latest book blends biblical competence and pastoral experience. This is a book for a general audience with evangelical leanings about how a Christian goes about developing virtue, character or habits of thinking, feeling and acting." - America--The National Catholic Weekly

"After You Believe by N. T. Wright offers yet another clarion call for believers and their communities to see that their actions in everyday life are evidence of the faith within." - Spirituality and Practice

"N.T. Wright, Anglican Bishop of Durham, opens with a persuasive call to recover character. Often we get stuck between two extremes: an antinomian ('against law') spontaneity, and a rule-focused legalism. Instead, argues Wright... we need to develop virtuous character. ...Just about everything in After You Believe [is] a fresh way of exploring many familiar truths." - Christianity Today

"Often we get stuck between two extremes: an antinomian ('against law') spontaneity, and a rule-focused legalism. Instead, argues Wright... we need to develop virtuous character. ...Just about everything in After You Believe [is] a fresh way of exploring many familiar truths." - Christianity Today

"In his new book, Wright, ...one of the most prolific and influential theologians of the 20th Century, ...posits that the development of virtue -- by the church and in broader society -- could help lead the Western world out of the sea of despondency in which it currently finds itself languishing." - Religion News Service

"[N.T. Wright is a] master at straight-forward, street-level writing about what makes our religious lives truly matter in the world. ...Wright's...powerful new book... is a clarion call to mature Christians to take seriously some of Jesus' messages we've long ignored." - Read the Spirit

"A book that carefully examines Christian character, Christian virtues and the Christian life . . . needs serious attention." - The Louisville Courier-Journal

"An excellent book . . . Wright's fine theological reflections here shed much light." - Englewood Review of Books

"For those who feel the church has lost its way, Wright offers a roadmap to help guide its followers home." - U.S. Catholic

"Beautifully written, rich with insights and lined with thought-provoking material .. . . Sometimes compared to a modern-day C.S. Lewis, N. T. Wright is an author not to be missed.... Highly recommended." - Faithful Reader