Garver on Wright on Paul

Joel Garver has posted an excellent sympathetic summary of N T Wright's thoughts on Paul which is well worth a read for those unclear of the issues surrounding the current debate. Suggesting reasons for why Wright is loved by some and held in suspicion by others within evangelicalism he starts and ends his summary thus:

I was asked recently, by someone who has found what she's read of Tom Wright's work to be helpful and edifying, why his writings have been such a particular focus of criticism among evangelicals. Part of the answer is that Wright probably has a greater degree of direct influence over evangelical thought than many other contemporary mainstream New Testament scholars, thereby coming under closer scrutiny, as well as the fact that we tend to criticize most sharply those with whom we differ who are otherwise the closest to us.

Though these comments are brief, perhaps for some they will help defuse the overly simplistic notion that Wright is of a piece with some wider "new perspective" movement. These comments might also help clear up some of the common misunderstandings and misconstruals of his work, in order that genuine disagreements can be pursued without unnecessary distraction from the relevant issues.