#232 | Jesus and the Powers: Understanding Our Political Witness with N.T. Wright, Pt. 2

In this second part of our conversation, Travis and Tom discuss our political witness, premillennial dispensationalism, bad theology, Christian nationalism, and how the gospel is bigger than we often realize. While the gospel encapsulates our personal salvation, there is much more involved than just that, but the redemption of all creation.

Understanding Tom means understanding not only what he is saying, but what he is responding to. Without that as a backdrop, you miss his point. Listen in and hear not only what he says, but what he is responding to, and as if often the case, it's the abuses in mind.

N.T. Wright (Tom) is currently Research Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Early Christianity at St Mary’s College in the University of St Andrews and Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He has authored or co-authored over 90 books, and today he joins Apollos Watered to discuss his newest book, "Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies."

Other episodes referred to in this episode:

#150 | Scriptural Illiteracy & Secular Imagination, Pt. 1 | Kevin Vanhoozer

#151 | Scriptural Illiteracy & Secular Imagination, Pt. 2 | Kevin Vanhoozer

#226 | The Church Between Temple & Mosque | Dan Strange

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Takeaways:

• N.T. Wright emphasizes that the problem with sin is not merely personal failure, but failing to fulfill God's creational purposes in the world.
• The concept of being human in a biblical sense includes being agents of God's restorative work in creation, not just focusing on individual salvation.
• Politics from a theological perspective requires Christians to view political engagement as part of their mission to embody God's kingdom on earth.
• Wright critiques Western individualism in Christianity, advocating for a corporate understanding of faith and community that reflects our shared identity in Christ.
• The church's political witness must challenge both external powers and internal inconsistencies, holding leaders accountable to God's standards.
• Wright argues that genuine political engagement should reflect the values of the kingdom of God, prioritizing love and justice for all people.