After You Believe - Book Summary

This week I finally finished a book I'd been looking forward to reading for quite some time - N. T. Wright's After You Believe:  Why Christian Character Matters.  I was looking forward to it for two main reasons.  First, I basically love everything that Bishop Wright writes.  He has a superb intellect, but is capable of writing in a way that engages me on a practical level.  I'd read the first two books in this series (Simply Christian, and Surprised by Hope) and thoroughly enjoyed them, so I knew I'd like this as well.  Secondly, I have adopted the framework for my own pastoral ministry that discipleship really has to focus on the development of character.  I've been working on my own manuscript of a book that focuses on developing character, and I thought I would gain some encouragement, challenge, and new ideas from this book on character.

I wasn't disappointed on either score.  In fact, at one point early in the book, I looked at my wife and said, "I think N. T. Wright stole my book idea."  He was saying some things that I've written and said before, and just the affirmation to come from that was enough to really encourage my own writing and thinking on the subject.  As to the actual content of the book, it was as brilliant as I'd hoped.

His premise seems to be that there are two competing streams of thought when it comes to what we're supposed to do after we become followers of Jesus.  On the one hand you have those who teach that, essentially, there is a strict, fixed set of rules that we are to abide by at all times.  On the other hand you have folks who argue that really Jesus has come to set us free from rules and instead replace the rules with a pursuit of authenticity and "being true to yourself".  Wright argues that both fall short of Jesus' vision for his followers, and that instead we should focus on the development of a virtuous Christian character that would result in us being fully human in the way Jesus desires us to be (and as he himself was).

You can download my summary of the book here:  Download After You Believe - Review

Comments

[Pamela]

Hi Keith...NT Wright stated that we are to be fully human the way that Jesus desires us to be, from the After You Beleive - Book Summary...not sure I agree, but this is why I have you to lean on and direct me when I am wrong...I have learned that when we are born again, we are one part human, one part Holy Spirit, and one part Supernatural!!!...I was fully human once - it didn't work; I wasn't in Jesus's shoes, and He wasn't in mine...and also, I hope I never become true to myself, instead, I prefer to work hard at being ture to my Lord. And yes, rules or non-rules are a huge issue, as I am learning. I am being taught that when we are born again, and if we are truly born again, the Holy Spirt enters into us...also, if we are truly born again, our love for the Lord is so deep that we strive not to sin, or as Andrew Wommack states, we become more holy and righteousess accidentally than we ever would on purpose; sinning in our lives lessen without us even thinking about it, that we tend to automatically stay away from the things "of" the world that can have a stronghold on us..we are set apart from the world, we are "in" the world, not "of" it. Wilmington's Guide to the Bible states,'people in the bar rooms have a common ground, they all drink and most are lonely. They fellowship with one another.How great it would be if Churches did the same.' I know that you had an issue with WWJD, stating that it is arrogant for anyone to assume what Jesus would do...for me, it meant He would stop before He sinned, and that is what I need to do - that worked for me since He is in me, and I am in Him...I know that we will never be perfect, atleast until we get to heaven, but there are ways we need to live for Him now, to let His Light shine before others..we are ambassadors, representatives. Yes, we can go to bars, to concerts where there is drinking and drugging, etc., and it doesn't mean that we will get drunk or high, but it does mean that it opens a port of entry for the devil's little demons to slide in and create havoc with our lives...yes, we will still go to heaven, but Jesus stated, "I have come that you might live and enjoy life to the full, in abundance, til it overflows"..I know he meant now, and not just in heaven. - I honestly do not want to be legalistic, and I know I can come across as that to some. I really take my faith seriously and truly am grateful what the Lord went through for a wretch like me. I know that there will be many false witnessess at the last day who think they are saved but are not...Mt. 7:21-23 scares me. Wow, I didn't mean to go on so long...hope I made some sense.... I do very much enjoy this site...God Bless

[Keith McNamar]

Hi Pam,

Thanks for taking the time to read the post.

On the issue of being fully human, I think my wording may have gotten confusing. Wright's point is that we were created in the image of God, fully human, but that sin has marred and broken that image of God in us. The work of new creation that God does for us in Christ is about making us into who we were always meant to be - fully human stewards of God's creation who would act as he would act in the world. So I think we're saying the same thing, maybe just thinking about it with different words.

The Spirit does indeed come to dwell in us at salvation, and that's the point Wright is making throughout. God's Spirit lives within us to do the work of shaping our character into one that is more reflective of God and his desires, and less reflective of our own desires. In fact, your quote from Andrew Womack sounded a lot like what I was reading in this book, just with different words. Wright talks about the way that developing character in God's image is like developing the ability to do things "by second nature" that we would not normally choose to do. We desire more of God's way and less of ours.

Last - the in the world and not of the world distinction is really important. We can't ever lose sight of the reality that Jesus came to seek and save the ones who were separated from relationship with God, so we have to be in the world. I think a lot of that honestly has to do with relationships we have with people and the ability we have to show them a life of faith, and to speak to them about Christ when the opportunity arises. Everyone approaches that differently, but I think the key is that we understand that Jesus has rescued and redeemed our lives, and we invite others to experience the same thing, but if we're completely separated from them, we won't have the chance to do that.