Wednesday, September 22, 2010

After You Believe, by N. T. Wright

Chapter Two Discussion Questions

*Your comments are welcome here.  Please begin by referring to a specific question, then offering your comment.  Thanks for joining our ongoing dialogue!

Question 1:  Wright describes character as that part of our personal makeup that runs all the way through us.  Name one or two traits that describe your general character.  (If you’re too modest or shy, have someone do this for you.)  Wright also notes that “Christian character” is a particular variation on general character…one that is developed and worked at continuously in partnership with the Holy Spirit.  Again, name one or two traits that describe your Christian character.

Question 2:  Wright notes that character is transformed by three things: the right goal, the right steps, and making those steps habitual.  What, then, is the final goal of the Christian life?  To share in a complete makeover of the whole created order at the end of time…the “eschaton.”  The steps leading to this transformation have already begun at Jesus’ resurrection.  They involve how we choose to believe and then live in the light of this new reality…recognizing that eternal life has already begun and we share in that freedom now.  So…what steps in your life have led to your Christian transformation, and how does this allow you to live and maneuver through this present age with faith and hope?

Question 3:  Part three introduces us to Aristotle’s four principal virtues: courage, justice, prudence, and temperance…acting as “hinges’ on the door to human fulfillment and flourishing.  Our character is developed as we work at these, over time.  Jesus and Paul extended such formation to include love, kindness, forgiveness, and humility.  As you look as your own character formation, what “schools” (formal and informal) played a significant role in your development?  What do Aristotle, Jesus, and Paul have in common, and what are their greatest differences?

Question 4:  Brain behavior is an emerging field of study, providing enormous insight into our individual development.  Can you identify or track your own brain development, based on some particular period or experiences?  What contributes to your successful “learning?”  How has your cerebral growth and activity effected the transformation of your character?

Question 5:  Rules…we all grew up with them.  We all broke them.  We continue to live with the observance and disregard of rules, depending on our attitudes and goals.  Obviously, rules continue to have their good and bad points.  As Lutherans, we apply the distinctions of “Law and Gospel” to elevate grace as the ultimate factor in our lives.  My observation is that our human tendency is to apply the Law (rules) toward others, while claiming Gospel (mercy and grace) for ourselves.  What’s wrong with this skewed approach?  Wright argues that rule-keeping only goes so far…which isn’t very far at all.  What matters ultimately is character…moving from “what to do” to “how to do it.”  The gospel response is that it is done by following Jesus.  As a follower of Jesus, how has your character been shaped beyond mere rule-keeping?  How does the Holy Spirit lead you in discerning certain decisions and actions?

Question 6:  Wright introduces us to the three movements that have most greatly affected the demise of virtue: the romantic, the existentialist, and the emotivist movements (page 50).  To what degree, and where, do you see any or all of these movements alive and active?  What effect do they appear to have in the attitudes and lives of those who bear them?  Wright directs us instead toward the New Testament’s vision of a “life of character formed by God’s promised future…lived within the ongoing story of God’s people and with that, a freshly worked notion of virtue.”  How has this “Christian virtue” provided you with direction, where the other three movements have failed?

Question 7:  In part seven, Wright further discusses the virtues of “virtue,” introducing Martin Luther, Hamlet, Augustine, and Aquinas.  He then settles in by relocating his discussion “within the framework of grace.”  Citing St. Paul’s writing and John 3:16, he demonstrates the purpose of grace: to lead us into new lives and new habits that reflect God’s love and forgiveness.  How has your character been shaped by the power of God’s grace, and what new directions have you traveled in your journey of faith?

Question 8:  What do we “anticipate” as Christians?  What do you anticipate to be and do as a direct result of your following Jesus?  Anticipation is the theme here.  Wright introduces two common sets of anticipation, followed by his own counterproposal (page 67), where he defines Christian behavior and virtue as anticipating the life of the age to come.  “The practice and habit of virtue, in this sense, is all about learning in advance the language of God’s new world” (page 69).  Such virtue places God and God’s kingdom at the center, not us or our ambitions.  As such, our behavior is steered toward “doing things which bring God’s wisdom and glory to birth in the world.”  How does this framework help establish a clearer understanding of your role as a disciple of Jesus and as a Christian neighbor?  How do the Christian community and your involvement in it provide ongoing support both for you and others?

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