InterVarsity Press has just published the highly anticipated book Justification, by the world-renown New Testament scholar, N.T. Wright. This book provides a significant contribution to the debate that is currently being conducted in broadly evangelical academic circles.
The debate has been highlighted and sharpened by the publication of a book in 2007 called The Future of Justification: A Response to N.T. Wright by the noted Minneapolis pastor, John Piper.
As the sub-title of Piper’s book indicates, it strongly critiques some of the previous writings of Wright as they relate to the biblical message of justification. More specifically, Piper identifies eight major concerns about Wright’s interpretations. Piper has also raised the decibels in the debate by “sounding a crucial warning” that Wright’s explanation of the biblical material does “not fit well with the ordinary reading of many texts.”
This challenge to Wright’s biblical understanding of justification has prompted Wright to reluctantly write his book to clarify his position where he believes that Piper has either misunderstood or misrepresented him. He also uses careful and detailed biblical exegesis to articulate his position that is indeed different than Piper’s.
