An Evangelical Perspective on NT Wright and Catholicism

By

Chris Castaldo

Published: 22 August 2009 10:43 PM CDT

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I recently invited Christ Castaldo to write a response to my post from last month: “Does N.T. Wright’s theology lead to Catholicism?”

He wrote some great comments and I was excited when he agreed to write a guest feature for this site. We’ve traveled in opposite directions. I’m a former Evangelical/Reformed/Anglican who became Catholic. Chris went the other way–he’s a former Catholic who is now an Evangelical and Pastor of Outreach at College Church in Wheaton.

An Evangelical Perspective on NT Wright and Catholicism
by Chris Castaldo

Having studied under Tom Wright at Harvard Divinity School when he visited for a semester, alongside and in dialogue with several Catholic classmates from Boston College, I couldn’t help but reflect on how his approach to Pauline theology relates to Catholic thought. It seems to me that there are at least seven features of Wright’s exegesis that lead students to take a second look at Catholic teaching. The first four emerge from his understanding of justification.

1. Anticipation of justification in the future
2. Defining the “gospel” in strictly objective terms, that is, the announcement of Jesus’ lordship to the exclusion of its subjective appropriation (i.e., faith alone)
3. Conceiving of justification in terms of membership in the covenant community
4. Emphasizing the positive contribution of “works” in one’s salvation
5. A serious commitment to church tradition and liturgy
6. Foregrounding the church’s call to social justice
7. Finally, one may view Wright’s emphasis on the corporate identity of Jesus in his Church in the same light as the Catholic doctrines of totus Christus and continuing incarnation

As for Wright’s understanding of imputation as an alien righteousness, Catholics and Protestants will interpret him differently. I’m of the opinion that Wright affirms an alien righteousness. For instance, in Wright’s words from his recent book Justification:

“[The Lord Jesus] has become “righteousness,” that is, God vindicated him, like a judge in a lawcourt finding in favor of one who had previously appeared condemned, when he raised him from the dead. God vindicated him as his own Son, the Israel-in-person, the Messiah, anticipating at Easter the final vindication of all God’s people in their resurrection of the dead. Those who are “in Christ” share this status, being vindicated already in advance of that final vindication (emphasis added)” (157).

In other words, because the believer’s identity is founded in the risen Christ, God the Father views us as possessing the merits of Jesus’ victory and on that basis declares us “not guilty.” For this reason, it seems to me, Wright stands closer to Calvin than anyone on the Catholic side of Wittenberg’s door.

Thanks again for the opportunity for this exchange,

Chris

               

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About the Author

Chris Castaldo is Pastor of Outreach at College Church in Wheaton and author of Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus as a Former Catholic (Zondervan, Oct ’09). www.chriscastaldo.com

2 Comments

1. Taylor Marshall

   Posted August 22, 2009 at 10:44 PM

   Thank you Chris.
2. Carl Broggi

   Posted July 9, 2010 at 12:00 PM

   Yesterday when reading on Wright I found this review by Brian McClaren:

   “John Piper, it turns out, has done us all a wonderful favor. In writing the critique that invited this response, he has given Bishop Wright the opportunity to clearly, directly, passionately and concisely summarize many of the key themes of his still-in-process yet already historic scholarly and pastoral project. Wright shows–convincingly–how the comprehensive view of Paul, Romans, justification, Jesus, and the Christian life and mission that he has helped articulate embraces ‘both the truths the Reformers were eager to set forth and also the truths which, in their eagerness, they sidelined.’ Eavesdropping on this conversation will help readers who are new to Wright get into the main themes of his work and the important conversation of which it is a part. And it will give Wright’s critics a clearer sense than ever of what they are rejecting when they cling to their cherished old wineskins of conventional thought.”

   —Brian McLaren, author of A Generous Orthodoxy

   Brian McLaren is a heretic and any believer should be very suspect of some apostate getting excited about Wright’s book. Certainly many of Wright’s premises are true (i.e. what did the text mean to the original audience) but his presuppositions as to what that meaning is seem totally false. I read one article by Wright yesterday implying that the modern evangelical church was adopting Luther’s view of justification and not Paul’s. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Luther’s view of justification is echoed by the church fathers, John Chrysostom, , Augustine, Peter Waldo, John Wycliffe and numerous others right up to the time of the Reformation. Luther is not new on justification, it is Wright that is new and generally speaking if it is new it is not true. The church is not just now coming to some enlightened position on justification. I am always reminded that the Scriptures were given for the common man to be read and understood. Theologues, educated beyond their own intelligence, have for centuries distorted the meaning of Scripture under the guise of scholarship. I am not against scholarship or I would never have pursued a doctorate. But I think T Wright is on very shaky ground and John Piper is correct in his assessment of Wright’s theology.

   I will look through my library – - but while in seminary I read a book by Ed Sanders – - I can’t remember the name – - but it seems to me that Wright is a carbon copy of his view on justification.