I have to say, if I could get John Franke or Brian McLaren to write a blurb for my book I wouldn’t hesitate to beg and plead for it and then use it prominantly.
I have to say, if I could get John Franke or Brian McLaren to write a blurb for my book I wouldn’t hesitate to beg and plead for it and then use it prominantly.
Just because they both endorsed the book doesn’t mean that Wright solicited them or even overtly appreciates their endorsement. I think endorsements like that fall under the purview of the publisher, just like the title of the book, which I have heard that Wright didn’t like.
I just like reading books that go beyond the polarizing endorsement of JI Packer.
The fact that Packer is included along with Franke and Mclaren makes me think even more that it was the publisher who was responsible. Combining those individuals is no doubt to appeal to the widest audience possible.
I think one thing to keep in mind is that the Emerging Church has held Wright in high regard from the beginning. If you go to either Brian McLaren’s website (http://www.anewkindofchristian.com/recommendations.html) or Emergent’s (http://www.emergentvillage.org/Site/Resource/ReadingList/index.htm, http://www.emergentvillage.org/Site/Resource/Downloads/index.htm) you will find Wright prominently featured. Speaking of Wright, McLaren writes “Bishop Wright is a brilliant ally in the struggle to engage with postmodern thought and culture.”
The Emerging community’s respect for NT Wright is nothing new really. Speaking personally, I think most people fail to clearly understand what Emergent types like John Franke are really proposing. They hear “Postmodern” and shut down there because they assume that if they’re postmodern they can’t be true Christians, which is really sad in my opinion.