The news this morning is that the very well-known and distinguished Anglican Bishop of Durham, N. T. Wright, is retiring from his episcopal work to return to full-time teaching and research. The University of St. Andrews has announced that Wright has been appointed to a chair in New Testament and Early Christianity. In the press release from the Diocese of Durham, where he has served for seven years, Wright cites the difficulty of combining his continuing vocation as a writer with the complex demands of work as a bishop. That sounds, to me, like he is very concerned about finishing the projected five volumes in his major academic study on Christian Origins and the Question of God. Wright is presently at work on volume four, which is on Paul. Already a prolific writer, Wright will undoubtedly produce more material given the time allowed to research professors for that task. He will likely continue to be in the accademic and ecclesial spotlight with his forthcoming book on Paul, which will be undoubtedly controversial. This, of course, is very big for St. Andrews, an institution which has had difficulty maintaining a strong program in biblical studies. With Wright on the faculty, their application pool will certainly get much deeper.
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