Scan barcode
reeseg's review against another edition
5.0
Great book on what Christian character/virtue is as compared to what the world says is good. Also gives tangible goals that you can start to work on in your own Christian life. Great read too, a little repetitive but worth the knowledge found here.
kanejim57's review against another edition
5.0
I finally finished this book after trying to for the past several years. It was worth the wait.
NT Wright does a wonderful exposition of scripture in regard to what the goal of the Christian life and faith is as he provides the reader with a very helpful answer to the question, "What is my purpose?"
The short answer, based on this reviewer's thoughts, is to become the kind of Christian in which the Fruit of the Spirit becomes second nature, in other words what kind of character are we developing.
I plan to re-read this book at some point in the future.
NT Wright does a wonderful exposition of scripture in regard to what the goal of the Christian life and faith is as he provides the reader with a very helpful answer to the question, "What is my purpose?"
The short answer, based on this reviewer's thoughts, is to become the kind of Christian in which the Fruit of the Spirit becomes second nature, in other words what kind of character are we developing.
I plan to re-read this book at some point in the future.
kanejim57's review
5.0
I finally finished this book after trying to for the past several years. It was worth the wait.
NT Wright does a wonderful exposition of scripture in regard to what the goal of the Christian life and faith is as he provides the reader with a very helpful answer to the question, "What is my purpose?"
The short answer, based on this reviewer's thoughts, is to become the kind of Christian in which the Fruit of the Spirit becomes second nature, in other words what kind of character are we developing.
I plan to re-read this book at some point in the future.
NT Wright does a wonderful exposition of scripture in regard to what the goal of the Christian life and faith is as he provides the reader with a very helpful answer to the question, "What is my purpose?"
The short answer, based on this reviewer's thoughts, is to become the kind of Christian in which the Fruit of the Spirit becomes second nature, in other words what kind of character are we developing.
I plan to re-read this book at some point in the future.
adamrshields's review against another edition
4.0
Short Review: At the end of the day I found this a very helpful book to think about developing Christian character. That being said, this is the third time I have started the book and I think the main reason I finished was that I listened to it on audiobook from Scribd instead of reading on my kindle. Like most everything Wright, he connects the development of character to Jesus and the kingdom and I think that is helpful. The central idea is that we have a role in developing character and it is the small decisions over time that make a difference.
On the negative side this is not a book the is oriented toward the practical suggestions. There are few of those and really it is only the last chapter that really hints at this. This is in part because Wright would say that developing character is different for each individual, which I agree, but still for a book that is about Christian character, I think a bit more on the practical would have been worth while.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/after-you-believe-why-christian-character-matters-by-nt-wright/
On the negative side this is not a book the is oriented toward the practical suggestions. There are few of those and really it is only the last chapter that really hints at this. This is in part because Wright would say that developing character is different for each individual, which I agree, but still for a book that is about Christian character, I think a bit more on the practical would have been worth while.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/after-you-believe-why-christian-character-matters-by-nt-wright/
sarah_reading_party's review against another edition
4.0
Employees at my university were supposed to read this over the summer. And like the dutiful librarian I am, I did read it! It is a dense read--N.T. Wright makes you think, for sure, but it is worth the effort. I appreciated the reminder that Christ did not come just so we could go to heaven. He came so we could impact the world in the here and now...and our life should be lived in such a way to bring glory to Him by our choices and in living out our values. I appreciated the breakdown of how various "Bible heroes" worked out their virtues.
biobibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
It's good to see Christian thinkers who don't dismiss the ambiguities and complex nature of living. Wright weaves a clear (albeit repetitive) argument for what a flourishing life means abstractly and practically.
ashleyfuhr's review against another edition
4.0
There were a lot of really great nuggets in this book that were worth mulling over and expounding on in conversation. There was also a lot of "getting lost in the weeds" between those nuggets, and I felt this could have been quite a bit shorter. I appreciate how readable this book is.
ddejong's review against another edition
4.0
This is an outstanding book. The fundamental question Wright seeks to answer is: what is God doing in and with our lives “after [we] believe”? What is the point of this difficult human existence in a broken world? Answering this question dovetails into his secondary or interrelated thesis that virtue matters (even with a strong bedrock of “by grace through faith” theology), and it is through virtue that we practice the habits of heart and mind that anticipate the future, fully realized kingdom of God that was inaugurated by Jesus during his time here. All of this was helpful and thought-provoking for me. What I didn’t anticipate was that Wright’s careful exploration of how virtue is formed in us would both reveal and start to erode a level of shame I have carried as an adult Christian that so many Christian virtues - the “fruit of the Spirit” that I am seemingly to produce by simply abiding in God - still feel so hard and so unnatural. Wright is insistent throughout the book- with strong scriptural support- that virtue, even for a Christian, is never our “first nature.” It always comes as “the result of work and cost”, and it is through a lifetime of this good, hard work to “keep in step with the Spirit” that we are steadily transformed so that acting in accordance with the heart of Jesus becomes “second nature” to us— we begin to make decisions and take action automatically according to the virtue that has formed within us, but that is the process of a lifetime. Meditating on this has been so encouraging and comforting for me. I also appreciated the time Wright spent putting into context how the virtue ethic of Jesus compared to that of Aristotle and the pagan culture of the day and how Jesus didn’t simply add to the cultural status quo but rather transformed it.
I only give this book 4 stars because I do believe it needed a more careful edit- it felt quite repetitive at times. I can appreciate the desire- especially with a complex line of argument- to circle back and summarize to ensure your reader is tracking with you, but it felt more repetitive than was necessary in some areas, and I got a little bogged down.
I only give this book 4 stars because I do believe it needed a more careful edit- it felt quite repetitive at times. I can appreciate the desire- especially with a complex line of argument- to circle back and summarize to ensure your reader is tracking with you, but it felt more repetitive than was necessary in some areas, and I got a little bogged down.
benrogerswpg's review against another edition
4.0
Building The Christian
This was a very strong theology book.
All about building a "real" Christian.
Great book!
N.T. (Neverendingly Theologistic) Wright, is always an amazing author! Highly recommend his writings.
4.5/5
This was a very strong theology book.
All about building a "real" Christian.
Great book!
N.T. (Neverendingly Theologistic) Wright, is always an amazing author! Highly recommend his writings.
4.5/5
charityjohnson's review against another edition
5.0
I'd like to see more disciples read and come to grips with the information (that's what it is) of NT Wright. He in essence, expands on the basic Christian creed.
NT Wright is a disturbing thinker in Christian circles today because he invokes a message which will break the current evangelical or mainline Christian mindset regarding what we do with our lives. And how character feeds into what we do.
I think more Christians need to understand it's more than the Cross and the Crown---it's also the way in between, the minutes and seconds, that matter. Here he addresses why the minutes and seconds matter--and on what foundation.
NT Wright is a disturbing thinker in Christian circles today because he invokes a message which will break the current evangelical or mainline Christian mindset regarding what we do with our lives. And how character feeds into what we do.
I think more Christians need to understand it's more than the Cross and the Crown---it's also the way in between, the minutes and seconds, that matter. Here he addresses why the minutes and seconds matter--and on what foundation.