Stephen I Wright

What led a thirty-year-old carpenter/builder from an obscure village in Galilee to abandon his trade and become the itinerant preacher, teacher, and healer described in the Gospels?Many Christians--including even some ministers--if asked precisely what outcome Jesus was hoping to achieve from his earthly ministry, are more likely to utter gasps of astonishment or admissions of ignorance ("I've never thought about it") than to give a considered opinion, even though the matter could hardly be more central to the Christian faith.In the past, scholars have attempted to discover Jesus' agenda by analyzing his teaching and actions as recorded in the Gospels. Their efforts, however, identified a diversity of conflicting aims. Roger Amos, in contrast, explores the factors impacting Jesus that led him to undertake his ministry. He uncovers a Galilee racked by deprivation--unemployment, debt, hunger, and crime--and a Jesus determined to confront the establishment and improve conditions for ordinary Jews. But how could a village carpenter backed by a band of fishermen accomplish that? Following clues in the Gospels that other expositors have overlooked, the author reveals the intriguing story underlying the familiar gospel narrative.

What led a thirty-year-old carpenter/builder from an obscure village in Galilee to abandon his trade and become the itinerant preacher, teacher, and healer described in the Gospels?Many Christians--including even some ministers--if asked precisely what outcome Jesus was hoping to achieve from his earthly ministry, are more likely to utter gasps of astonishment or admissions of ignorance ("I've never thought about it") than to give a considered opinion, even though the matter could hardly be more central to the Christian faith.In the past, scholars have attempted to discover Jesus' agenda by analyzing his teaching and actions as recorded in the Gospels. Their efforts, however, identified a diversity of conflicting aims. Roger Amos, in contrast, explores the factors impacting Jesus that led him to undertake his ministry. He uncovers a Galilee racked by deprivation--unemployment, debt, hunger, and crime--and a Jesus determined to confront the establishment and improve conditions for ordinary Jews. But how could a village carpenter backed by a band of fishermen accomplish that? Following clues in the Gospels that other expositors have overlooked, the author reveals the intriguing story underlying the familiar gospel narrative.

While it is widely acknowledged that Jesus told stories, there has not been much focus on why he did so and how these stories contributed to his ministry. Stephen Wright approaches this topic afresh to analyze how considering the parables as "stories" can help our understanding of Jesus and his mission. Wright begins by looking for insights in scholarship from recent decades on the parables and the historical Jesus. He goes on to imagine how these stories would have resonated with hearers in each of the Synoptic Gospels and considers the dynamics between Jesus and his hearers in different locations like Galilee and Jerusalem. Finally, Wright considers the purpose of these parables as an element of Jesus' ministry and looks at Jesus himself as a storyteller. This book will provide a solid basis for understanding why Jesus spoke in parables and how this distinctive style of speech functioned in his ministry.

A rich and compelling portrait of Jesus as storyteller, set within a credible historical reconstruction of his aims and ministry.

Preaching the Incarnation, a follow-up to the authors' Preaching the Atonement, offers a theological discussion of ten important Bible passages connected with the doctrine of incarnation, bringing historical and literary questions about the text into dialogue with Christian tradition, drawing out the implications of the passage for preaching. In each chapter a sermon is presented, followed by a commentary that sets the sermon in context and highlights the rhetorical strategy of the preacher. Well-known preachers William Willimon, Thomas Long, Rowan Williams, and Anna Carter Florence each contribute sermons to the book, as do the authors.

Preaching the Atonement is a unique teaching tool that offers a theological discussion of ten important Bible passages connected with the sacrifice of Christ. Each chapter includes a complete sermon on the passage in question followed by a discussion from the authors that highlights the preacher's strategy in the theological interpretation of the text and its incorporation into the rhetoric of the sermon.Sermons are provided by the authors as well as David Southall, Kent Anderson, A. Katherine Grieb, David Schlafer.

This book explores what it means to seek the "voice" of Jesus" in his parables through the interpretive keys of literary tropes. Through a detailed discussion of significant periods of parable interpretation, with reference to six narrative parables peculiar to Luke's Gospel, it demonstrates the continued necessity of a creative response to an intention when confronted with figures of speech. Drawing on the long tradition of interpretation, a fresh hearing of the tone of the parables as exemplary tales is suggested, rooted in both the conditions of Jesus's contemporary culture and the Old Testament Scriptures.