Evil and the Justice of God

I am currently reading a book by N.T. Wright called "Evil and the Justice of God." I have only finished the first chapter and it has already got me thinking. It's too soon for me to reflect on what I am reading, but hopefully in the near future I will be able to digest it and then share my thoughts with you.

N.T. Wright is a hot topic now since John Piper wrote a book against Wright's view on justification. I have not read Wright's lengthier books because I work full time, but I have read his Romans commentary and it was pretty good. I found more truth there than fiction. John Piper is a good guy and his writings did change my life, but Wright is also a good writer and his writings have also changed my life. (For all of those good Calvinists-God used their writings to change my life). I have learned, thanks to the best course I took while at college with Dr. Patton, that I can read a lot of different authors objectively and hold what they say up to the light to see if it shines or not. I also read the controversial James Dunn's commentary on Romans and I was able to glean truths from it. What I am skeptical of is when people read quotes from Wright and without looking at what he is really saying they argue with it simply because it is a N.T. Wright quote.

What I appreciate about N.T. Wright is he is on the outside looking in. He lives in England and he has seen all of the current events of U.S. history from a foreigner's perspective. He is not weighed down by U.S. church politics or trends. He does not bash the U.S., but at times does give more balanced views of it than we get living on the inside. Currently he is the number one person on my "I would like to meet him one day" list. If I do eventually meet him I would be able to have him tell me what he believes the Bible teaches without having to read his more lengthy books.

I will leave you a quote from the book to ponder.

"Some philosophers and psychologists have tried to make out that evil is simply the shadow side of good; that it's part of the necessary balance in the world, and that we must avoid too much dualism, too much polarization between good and evil. That, of course, leads straight to Nietzsche's philosophy of power and by that route back to Hitler and Auschwitz. When you pass beyond good and evil, you pass into the realm where might is right, and where anything that reminds you of the old moral values-for instance, a large Jewish community-stands in your way and must be obliterated." pg. 24