After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters [Hardcover]

A man that many today have considered to be "the next C.S. Lewis" has finished a new book that I've recently read. His name is N.T. (Tom) Wright, and he is currently the Anglican Bishop of Durham in England. Looking at Bishop Wright's literary style along with his bibliography will yield immediate similarities to Lewis. Bishop Wright's cheeky English words, conciseness of thought and logic, and use of imagination all mirror Lewis', while some of his book subjects also reflect those of Lewis'--many have hailed Bishop Wright's "Simply Christian" as a modern echo of Lewis' "Mere Christianity". Or it could be that they both hare English, taught at Oxford, and write about God.

For some time I had been anxiously awaiting Bishop Wright's new book, "After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters". This new book is the third in a trilogy from Bishop Wright. I've read the first book, the previously-mentioned "Simply Christian", in which Wright pointed out clearly the basic beliefs of Christianity, specifically through modern lens such as "story" and "beauty". I have browsed through the second book of the trilogy, "Surprised By Hope", and discovered a fascinating vision of Heaven and Resurrection, along with the reality that both begin here and now. In addition to these two works, Wright has also written some dense works of theology, particularly the three works in his "Christian Origins and the Question of God" series. As an eloquent, smart, and outspoken Anglican, though, he has been drawn into much critique and debate, especially by other Protestants regarding his understanding of justification (how we are made right with God).

However, "Simply Christian" and "Surprised By Hope" were written in a much lighter style than the Bishop's other works; each had a great balance of theology and practicality. And forming a pseudo-trilogy, these first two books pointed to a third one. After we understand the basic tenants of the Christian faith ("Simply Christian") and gain a full understanding of the New Heaven and New Earth ("Surprised By Hope"), the question that begs to be answered next is, "how, then, should we live?"

Bishop Wright begins answering this question in "After You Believe" by detailing two different people. The first understands the Christian life as one that is full of "freedom", meaning that he should be spontaneous in his actions, confident that Christianity leads to a life of no rules or laws; he should simply do "what feels right" and always be "authentic". The second person is one who is constrained by many laws and rules that she has deduced from the Scriptures; she believes that certain things, such as divorce regulations, are painted clearly in the Bible and should be obeyed whether or not one "feels" like it. Though both claim to begin with "the Bible" and the words of Jesus, both ultimately reach different conclusions. So, Bishop Wright asks why this is; does there exist a definite, determinable understanding of "virtue" (right-living) or are we each bound by our own feelings and consciences to tell us how to live?

As a Catholic, I understand the Church to stand in this role. The Magisterium of the Catholic Church seeks to define morals and ethics for the people of the Church, and Her authority stems from the apostles of Jesus themselves. Bishop Wright, as an Anglican, doesn't quite recognize this type of authority, so he of course finds himself probing questions that I believe to already be answered. However, as a former Protestant, I can assuredly say that this book speaks directly into some of the main conundrums in the Protestant church: who defines what "virtue" is, and what is it? (I will say that for a Catholic, the answer to these questions that Bishop Wright centers his book around can be given immediately by the Church, and you will find a fuller Catholic explanation of this answer in other books.)

I imagined that "After You Believe" would be written in a similar style to its preceding books, but with the different subject of practical Christian living. I quickly found I was wrong on both fronts. Each of the first two books was written in a light, conversational tone with understandable chunks of theology. They were easy enough to read and comprehend for the armchair-theologian. "After You Believe", however, is extremely dense and deals with the philosophy and theology behind the idea of "virtue". Bishop Wright spends little time on the practicalities of virtue itself, instead using hundreds of pages to analyze the history and theological understanding of the purpose of our existence and the theology of virtue. He rightly believes that the question of "how to live" can't be answered if the question "why are we here?" isn't answered first. So, he spends many chapters analyzing this.

As undoubtedly one of the sharpest theologians today, one of Bishop Wright's specialties is his understanding of the letters of Paul. In "After You Believe", Bishop Wright draws heavily from these Pauline letters to explain that our purpose on this planet--the ultimate source of the "how, then, should we live?" question--is to be "priests and rulers". Now, again speaking as a Catholic, it should be noted that Bishop Wright isn't referring to our "priestly" roles in the liturgical sense, but in the sense that we are all called to sacrifice and participate in Temple-like worship, even while we are on earth. Our call to be "rulers" stems back to our call in Genesis to "subdue" the Earth and to our destiny in Revelation when we will be co-rulers with God over all of Creation.

Bishop Wright explains that these are things that we are to be doing now, not simply when we are Resurrected, and in Heaven. And the reason we are to do them now is because the way we live these roles in this life--the way we live lives of "virtue"--is an "anticipation", or a "foreshadowing" of the way we will live for all of eternity. We don't live lives of virtue to "gain" heaven or because we are to follow pointless moral commands, but because they prepare us to begin living now the way that we will be living forever.

Even though I consider myself to be fairly well-read in the realm of theology, this book was a struggle to get through. I thought much of the material was repetitive, and--maybe due to my own fault--felt deceived by the publisher's description of the book. I thought this was going to be a lighter, imaginative stroll through the world of Christian living, but was instead greeted with a heavy tome, which included a thick comparison of the Aristotelian and Pauline visions of the purpose of life.

On the other hand, after finishing and chewing on the Bishop's thoughts, I've come to see his contributions to the field of Christian living to be wise: instead of focusing on the practicalities of lived virtue, Wright centers on the underlying purposes and foundation of virtue itself. He sees that once we become "transformed by the renewal of our minds", as Paul says, then we will innately know how to spontaneously act in certain spontaneous situations. In essence, once you embrace your "purpose" which is to live as a "priest and a ruler", then you don't worry about specific virtues for specific situation; they flow naturally out of a formed heart and mind.

Be aware that though Bishop Wright aims this book to be in the same trilogy as "Simply Christian" and "Surprised By Hope", it requires a much deeper intellectual effort to get through. There is much more theology and a much greater dose of philosophy in this work.

If you are searching for clear, practical explanations of how to live virtuously, there may be better books (two I recommend are Dallas Willard's "Renovation of the Heart" and Andy Stanley's "It Came From Within"). If, on the other hand, you are looking for a heady theological explanation of virtue and its philosophical foundation, "After You Believe" is the book for you.

The title of this book--*AFTER YOU BELIEVE: WHY CHRISTIAN CHARACTER MATTERS--is what drew me to it. As N.T. Wright acknowledges within these pages, there is very often an either/or factor among Christians. We either live our lives trying to legalistically adhere to a bunch of rules (though the rules vary from person to person), or we give very little thought or care to how we live, knowing that "God's grace is sufficient" (which is true). But how we live between our conversion and our funeral very much does matter, and it is not found in either of these approaches. Wright reminds us that God will one day fully combine Heaven and Earth, but the process has already begun. And so has the transformation of character, or virtue.

Wright explains that "virtue is what happens when wise and courageous choices have become 'second nature' . . . Those who follow Jesus can begin to practice, in the present, the habits of heart and life which correspond to the way things are in God's kingdom--the way they will be eventually, yes, but also the way they already are because Jesus is here . . . But virtue is always the result of work and cost" (pgs. 21, 105, 216).

Having virtue does not mean that we are to be sinless (not that we ever could be), nor is it simply a matter of following someone's example--even Jesus' example! Rather, we are to engage in what Wright calls "The Virtuous Circle"--which involves scripture, stories, examples, community, and practices--and our character will thus be transformed. Our thoughts, words, and actions will begin to reflect our love for God and for other people, and it will just be "second nature," not our pursuit of following a list of rules.

Wright states, "The key is this: the 'fruit of the Spirit' does not grow automatically. The nine varieties of fruit do not suddenly appear just because someone has believed in Jesus, has prayed for God's Spirit, and has then sat back and waited for 'fruit' to arrive . . . The point of using the term 'fruit,' after all, is that these are things which grow from within rather than being imposed from without" (pgs. 195, 206).

I had never read any of N.T. Wright's books before this one, but I am anxious now to read his previous works. Although I was a bit intimidated to dive into this Bible scholar's teachings, I found that this book was challenging but not arduous, complex but not insurmountable. Truthfully, the only negative aspects of the book, in my opinion, are that it becomes somewhat repetitive and that Wright continually tells the reader of things he is going to talk about later in the book. (I'd rather he just let me know when I get there.)

Overall, this is an excellent book and one that I recommend every Christian read.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free by The Ooze Viral Bloggers in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

N.T. Wright has once again brought us a book that not only challenges but extends our understanding of this Christian journey. This is a must read for all people that have read Simply Christian and Surprised by Hope. Honestly, many readers that read just this without the other two may be somewhat lost. This is a book that all Christian leaders should read. As part of the vocational ministry, I have witnessed way too many leaders that have no Christian character but are rather "CEO" leaders of a business organization. This book challenges that way of thinking while encouraging virtue.

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