N.T. Wright and Johnny Cash on Heaven
Okay, this may be the first and only time that you see the names of these two theologians linked, but they need to be.
A few days ago I was traveling to Higbee, Missouri to teach and decided to take along a 5 CD set of Johnny Cash entitled “Cash Unearthed.” It is a remarkable set, produced by Rick Rubin over a period of months and released shortly before Cash’s death. I had recently finished N.T. Wright’s remarkable book, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2008) and Wright’s approach to a biblical understanding of the blessed hope of Christians connected with what Cash wrote:
Come hear me good brothers come here one and all
Don’t brag about standing or you’ll surely fall
You’re shinin’ your light yes and shine it you should
You’re so heavenly minded and you’re no earthly good
No earthly good you are no earthly good
You’re so heavenly minded you’re no earthly goodCome here me good sisters you’re salt of the earth
If your salt isn’t salted then what is it worth
You could give someone a cool drink if you would
You’re so heavenly minded and you’re no earthly good
No earthly good you are no earthly good
You’re so heavenly minded you’re no earthly goodIf you’re holding heaven then spread it around
There are hungry hands reaching up here from the ground
Move over and share the high ground where you stood
So heavenly m indeed and you’re no earthly good
No earthly good you are no earthly good
You’re so heavenly m indeed you’re no earthly good
What Cash sang in three verses, Wright develops in nearly three hundred pages of clearly thought out reflections. Wright doesn’t believe in heaven—at least, not in the way that millions of Christians understand the term. Wright quotes a children’s book by California first lady Maria Shriver called What’s Heaven? which describes it as “a beautiful place where you can sit on soft clouds and talk…If you’re good throughout your life, then you get to go there…When your life is finished here on earth, God sends angels down to take you to heaven to be with him.” That, says Wright, is a good example of what not to say. The Bishop of Durham then develops many Biblical truths:
- In the Bible we are told that when you die, you enter an intermediate state. Paul is every clear that Christ has been raised from the dead already, but that nobody else has yet.
- The New Testament says that when Christ does return, the dead will experience a whole new life: not just our soul, but our bodies.
- The New Testament does not teach that all that really matters is saving souls for a disembodied heaven.
- At no point do the Gospels teach that “Jesus has been raised, therefore when we die we are all going to heaven.” It says that Christ is coming here, to join together the heavens and the earth in an act of new creation.
- Jesus is raised, therefore the new creation has begun: we have a job to do.
- The New Testament teaches that God wants us to be renewed human beings helping him to renew his creation. The resurrection of Jesus was the opening bell.
- If people think “My physical body doesn’t matter very much,” then who cares what I do with it? And if people think that our world doesn’t matter much, who cares what we do with that? No! Wright shouts. It matters if you have acid rain or greenhouse gases prior to the final coming of Jesus. It matters when we bomb civilians. It matters how we treat our spouses and our children and our neighbors. It matters how we are faithful in carrying out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
If Cash were still alive, I would love to hear him and Bishop Wright sing a duet.
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Bob,
Reading Surprised by Joy is what ALMOST led me to change some words in the 4th verse of How Great Thou Art this past week. Instead of “and take me home,” Dustin suggested “and heal this world.” For several reasons, all quite mundane, the change wasn’t made. I regret it, because what we sing matters. That’s why, despite the lobbying of some, there are many songs – new and old – I refuse to integrate into our congregational worship. Where are the songs about resurrection and re-creation? It’s difficult to find good congregational songs on a variety of crucial topics, but the overwhelming majority that deal with eschatological issues are theologically questionable. I lament that dearth of music, because we tend to carry songs with us far longer than sermons – a good song resonates deeply in us, and we never forget it. Songs are undervalued as instruments of discipleship. What do you think, Bob?
I’m about halfway through the book myself. That’s where the ‘and heal this world’ came from.
I am on my third Wright book (Justification and What Saint Paul Really Said), and have found his writing both challenging and enjoyable. What I have appreciated most though is his heart for the church. He isn’t about just discussing theology, but is about the church living it out.
I wonder how much of our vocabulary we need to change. I have not found good alternatives yet, but I’m wondering if we need to stop using ‘heaven’ for a while. People seem to be almost brainwashed by the idea that they don’t even get the concept of the new heavens and the new earth being wed.
@Dustin Fulton
Yes, Dustin – I’m a bit shy of using the term “heaven.” I’m probably overreacting. However, I think we need to at least examine the concept of heaven (or heavens) in its NT context. In The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard unpacks it pretty thoroughly. Its probably a bit heady and meticulous for the majority of folks who were responsible to teach, but I think the next time we encounter “heaven” in the Sunday morning text there might be a good teachable moment. Of course it might be handy to ask Bob if he has an opinion about how we should handle the concept…
Yet another reason to avoid books by politicians!!
Great post.