I Met N. T. Wright, and How You Can Too
November 4, 2026
AI Disclosure: This article was written by me, with AI assistance used for grammar, spelling, and formatting. The thoughts, reflections, and opinions are my own.
My son and I made a pilgrimage to meet at one of the top living biblical scholars and Christian theologians. Professor N.T. Wright has written dozens of books on theology, the New Testament, and biblical studies.
His devotional commentary series For Everyone is a great place to start for anyone reading the New Testament. Professor Wright was speaking at Wesley Church on St. Simons as part of a lecture series with Wycliffe Hall in Oxford.
Here are # insights from the lectures.
#1 Wright is Very Engaging
Using my spiritual gift of pessimism (not a real gift) I had low expectations. I had once concern of Professor Wright being flat in presentation. The man is in 70s. As someone who did an international trip to South Africa, I know the toll it can take on the body and I was in my 40s. Another concern I had was seeing him read a lecture. I have heard if you go to big academic presentations they can be rather boring. It is essentially someone reading a report.
Neither of these fears were realized. Wright was energetic, passionate, and excited. He had notes but I do not recall him using them a lot. I was leaning in the whole time.
He still has a strong desire to go back to the text and find its original meaning which is always refreshing.
#2 Play the Same Note in a Different Key
I am not a musical person. Is playing the same note in a different key possible? If you read Professor Wright there a few things you are going to hear. You will hear: (1) How the church has got their interpretation slightly off particularly in the middle ages and reformation. (2) How Platonic thought shaped the early church. (3) A strong emphasis on the new creation.
These are some of the common themes I have picked up on reading several of Wright’s books particuarly in my favorite Surprised by Hope.
His most recent book God’s Homecoming seems be focused on God’s desire to be with humanity with it’s final culmination in new creation. I have not read his latest book but he did spend part of his lectures focusing on this.
#3 Seeing it Through My Son’s Eyes
Other than a small four-month-old baby, my son was the youngest person there. I have no clue if he will go into ministry or study theology. However, if he does it will be wonderful to say he met N.T. Wright. While Professor Wright never had a line for book signings we still decided to approach him before the last session.
My son’s favorite book of the bible is Revelation. He brought Revelation for Everyone and had it signed. Professor Wright was gracious to sign it and also quick to point out he was no Revelation scholar and it was his only work on the book. I also gifted him a pocket cross and told him thank you for dedication his life to biblical scholarship.
Afterwards, my son said, “Sorry, you did not get a book signed.” I assured him it brought me much more joy for him to get the book signed he wanted. Also, my copy of Surprised by Hope was already defaced in the front. Probably by my son in his toddler years.
If you want to have the feather in your cap of seeing Professor Wright in person you should head up to Asbury Theological Seminary for The Christian Mind Conference February 16th – 18th, 2027.
Introducing Ask Bishop Jones: A New Methodist Podcast
November 3, 2026
AI Disclosure: This article was written by David Donnan with the assistance of artificial intelligence for grammar, organization, and formatting. The ideas, experiences, and opinions expressed are my own.
I’m very excited to share about a project that is in the early stages of development!
I am working with Bishop Scott Jones to help him create a podcast where he will get to share from his deep wealth of knowledge about all things related to glorifying Christ and Methodism.
Bishop Jones is now retired from active episcopal ministry, and this seemed like the perfect time for him to start thinking about what he could do next.
Since 2019, I’ve been putting together podcasts and longer-form video content. So I consider it a very high privilege to be helping him launch this podcast.
The podcast will be called Ask Bishop Jones, and I’ll have the opportunity to serve as his first co-host.
We Need Your Questions!
Over the next few days, you’ll see some announcements on social media about this new project.
I’d like to ask those of you who read my blog to consider submitting a question for us to discuss on the podcast.
Submit Your Question for Ask Bishop Jones
The podcast is inspired by Ask N. T. Wright Anything and Word on Fire with Bishop Robert Barron. Those are two examples of people who do a great job of sharing their insights while also showing the beauty of their respective branches of Christianity.
My hope is that we’ll be part of a growing stream of Methodism sharing great content online that people will find helpful.
And, personally, I get to have conversations with one of the greatest minds in Methodism, Bishop Scott Jones!
Follow Ask Bishop Jones
If you’d like more information or want to follow along as we develop the podcast, here are the places to connect with us:
- Website and Substack — Subscribe for updates and future podcast episodes.
- Facebook Page — Follow and share announcements.
- YouTube Channel — Subscribe for videos and future episodes.
- Watch Our Introductory Video — Hear more about the project.
- Submit a Question — Send us something you’d like Bishop Jones to discuss.
You can also reach us by email at askbishopjones@gmail.com.
What’s Next?
We’re looking forward to recording episodes over the next few months, with an anticipated launch in January 2027.
I’m excited to see how this project develops and how it might serve the church.
I appreciate your questions, your encouragement, and any prayers you could offer for us as we get started.
Three Insights from Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Mind in Another Place
October 28, 2026
AI Disclosure: This post was written by myself with AI assistance for grammar, formatting, and clarity. The ideas, reflections, and opinions are my own.
I recently read Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Mind in Another Place: My Life as a Scholar. Last year, I read Thomas Oden’s A Change of Heart: A Personal and Theological Memoir. Oden’s book gave me an appreciation for how little I know about the people whose commentaries and books I read.
Recently, I also discovered Brad East through his writing about the life of a scholar on his blog. This has only deepened my appreciation for and intrigue with scholars.
Here are three insights from The Mind in Another Place: My Life as a Scholar.
1. Luke Timothy Johnson (LTJ) Is a Lay Catholic Scholar
I had heard of LTJ as a famous scholar from several of my colleagues who attended Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Surprise! Not only was he not Methodist, but he also spent years living as a monk before going to Yale for studies and work.
Johnson has a winding and unusual journey which was enlightening and engaging to read about.
2. Jobs of Work and Works of Love
LTJ was a voracious reader and writer. He contributed a large number of articles and books across theology and biblical studies. He also differentiated between jobs of work and works of love.
I thought this was a helpful distinction for any job. There are aspects of any job that might simply be responsibilities we have to fulfill, while other aspects are things we pursue because of our love for the work itself.
3. The Pressure on Scholars
The final takeaway is that scholars seem to feel immense pressure to come up with something new. Part of completing a PhD is contributing to the field of study. LTJ makes it clear: If you want to become a scholar for study alone, that is not enough. He wants scholars to be bold, creative, and think outside the box.
There is a need for this. However, one could see how this could also be less helpful. This is in contrast to Oden, who wanted to contribute nothing new but instead to recapture Classic Christianity.
Should You Read It?
If you are curious about the life of a scholar, I would start with Oden. However, if you want to learn about another important scholar from the past 30 years, you would probably enjoy it. Or, if you want to hear how someone tries to faithfully balance work and care for family, you will gain some insight.
