Dear Everyone,
During this Lenten season, I’ve begun reading N.T. Wright’s book, “Surprised by Hope.” Wright is a Biblical theologian, a priest in the Anglican church, and the former bishop of Durham, England. This week, I read the Preface, along with Chapters One and Two.
Wright points out that the hope of Christianity is for this life, as well as for the next, but that many people are mistaken as to what the traditional Christian teaching is on death, the resurrection, and the afterlife. He canvases various misunderstandings of this teaching. Then he quotes approvingly a poem from John Donne,
“Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those who thou thinks thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me ….
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more. Death, thou shalt die.”
You may recognize John Donne as the author of “The Flea,” a poem Gabriel quotes to himself in “Gabriel’s Inferno.”
N. T. Wright focuses us our attention on the last two lines of the poem – Death is our enemy but it has been conquered. The triumph of life over death through the death of Christ and his resurrection is the centre point of the Christian faith, and is the reason for the celebration of Easter. Wright closes the second chapter of his book by stating, “Our task in the present – of which this book, God willing, may form part – is to live as resurrection people in between Easter and the final day with our Christian life, corporate and individual, in both worship and mission, as a sign of the first and a foretaste of the second.”
As we journey through Lent, please join me in reading N.T. Wright’s book. I will be posting weekly reflections on the book and then closer to Easter, I’ll be hosting a chat. This week, I’ll be reading Chapters Three and Four. I welcome your comments and questions.
Peace be with you. And peace especially be with the people of Ukraine,
SR
I am honoured to have had all three of my novels appear on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists. I was a Semifinalist for Best Author in the 2011 and 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards. {
Que interesante todo lo que dices. Este libro está en español?
Hola, Ana Cecilia.
I’m sorry but it looks like that book hasn’t been translated into Spanish.
SR
Fear of death is greater than the death itself. When death comes, there it is. The fear of death endures thru life and terifies people more, deeper and longer.
Although, after physical death, man can ressurect by memories he left to the people living after him. I think that is the last verse of Don’s poem talking about.
Is it?
Hi Bell’anime,
Donne and NT Wright are speaking of the resurrection of the body. So they’re referring to the Christian doctrine of the general resurrection. Wright is going to be delving more deeply into this doctrine in the next few chapters, so stay tuned …
SR
A month ago just finished my own writing about good, evil morals, ethics..and Wright’s name didn’t came up, so thank you for mentioned this book. I surely will find it( in paper of course/ there is nothing better than the smell of paper while reading a book), read it, and deeply reconsider it.
Donne is one of my favorites. Sometimes kind of dark, but true.
I always thought about resurrection of soul, or else, memory that is left after someone’s death. So, I surely will wait for the sequel of Your findings and thoughts.
Be safe, SR.
And Happy Wednesday (so, the Wednesday has started at my country, n hour ago :))
I grew up on Donne. Having been to numerous funerals in my church growing up and through adulthood, as well as witnessing and aiding patients who were dying, there is an indescribable sense of being close to the main, divine stage. We glorify Him here as we wait our turn to walk on to that real, glorious reality. Here, we must be satisfied with just glimpses and tastes of what awaits.
Thank you Pat,
SR
C.S. Lewis’ Weight of Glory is my next read. I’m embarrassed to have never read it.
oh my god, i need this book… more and more i’m sinking into my pain, into my helplessness. this book feels like a prayer or a conversation with ourselves. for now I will follow your reflections since I have no way to read in one and the same way with you. Thank you boss, your words of comfort really get inside me🙏😘💜
Obrigado, Nani,
SR
A challenging read so far. As an ordained pastor I have been doing funerals for over 30 years. I have personal experience with death having lost my husband, sister, parents , in laws & close friends. These experiences color some of the ways in which I read Wright. As I read chapters 1 & 2, I agree with much of what he claims so far but my experience has sometimes been quite different. For example, in my experience, many families are still putting items in coffins. However, most times they do not put items for use in their loved ones use in the afterlife, but rather items that express something to those who come to visitation, (which is still very popular in my area) about the deceased and their relationship to & love for them as well as things the deceased loved. Sports items are especially popular (I have even seen Ohio State coffins decorated inside & outside) coloring pictures done by young grandchildren, a single flower etc. Jewelry is usually removed just before the coffin is closed & returned to the family. All of which is to say, different areas of the country & indeed the world have differing customs with differing expressions of those customs and all are of value. I look forward to Wright’s further commentary so I can expand my knowledge of this topic..
Hi Virginia,
Thanks for raising an important point – the role of pastoral care in the grieving process. While the doctrine of the resurrection might provide some comfort in times of grief, certainly the presence and support of others provides comfort as well. Thanks for sharing, SR
I come at this subject with a Roman Catholic upbringing, granddaughter of a funeral director and an Irish sense of loss but also humor, and with knowledge of the Episcopal Church teachings as well. After all many of the famine Irish came to North America not knowing if they were ever going to see their families again, much like all who travelled to the New World, there was a tradition of the living wake for those that were leaving. Also acknowledging that I should have paid more attention to John Donne in my British Lit classes. This is going to be a very interesting and challenging read.
My first encounter with death happened as a young girl, aged 7 or 8. My grandfather had received a call to go to a house because someone had passed away. My dad had driven him to the house and I was in the car as well. I remember sitting in the backseat waiting for my grandfather to come back to the car staring out the rear window to see if I could see the persons soul on its way to heaven. I was 9 when I went to my first funeral for my grandmother. So it surprised me that Bishop Wright did not go to a funeral until he was 20. In those days the priest always wore black vestments and the altar, and bear cloth was also black. This changed in the 1960’s to white. Practices vary within traditions and customs. For me death was a continuation of ones life. Yes the body was no longer there, but the personality and essence of their spirit is always with you.
I am curious to read further about resurrection with Bishop Wright. Because to me resurrection is hope. The hope of being with loved ones, the renewal of grace and beauty. As well as being in the light of the Divine.
Thanks, Pam.
I’ve always liked the tradition of the wake. Thanks for sharing, SR
I don’t think I am smart or educated enough in theology to fully understand everything N.T. Wright is discussing, and for that reason, it is a challenging read for me. So far it is making me question everything I think about death. N.T. has referenced John Donne a few times, so I picked up a copy of his poetry so I can hopefully better understand this book. Some points N.T. Wright has brought up I have found interesting because I’ve questioned them myself. I like that he commented on how people say things to you in grief, thinking it will comfort you, when in reality, it is no comfort at all. I am interested in continuing to see how N.T. Wright tackles the re-thinking of resurrection. In this book N.T. Wright is trying to re-think the teaching of eschatology, correct?
The Western worlds assumption is that we all have a soul, that it needs to be saved, and that it will “go to heaven”? I read this terminology is not supported by the New Testament?
Hi Kenzie,
Wright is lamenting the fact that many Christians seems to believe that they are their souls and that the afterlife is an afterlife of souls. He points out here and in later chapters that Christian teaching was always that human beings are made of both body and soul. The afterlife of a human being has to include his or her body in order for it to be a human afterlife. Thus, the teaching of the general resurrection describes the resurrection of the bodies of all departed. I’ll delve more into this in the next posting, as Wright does in Chapters 3-4. Thanks for reading, SR.
Dearest Sylvain, Lenten Time, always carried such weight in my Family. My Mum, brought all her energy and talents to the Church and Community during the Time. Thank you for for sharing these passages. It truly warms my soul. I feel my Mum, just a wee bit closer. Bless You!!
Thank you so much, Veronica.
Peace be with you and Happy Easter, SR