Book Review: God and the Pandemic By N. T. Wright

N. T. Wright is Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St. Andrews and Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. Prior to that, he was Bishop of Durham (2003-10). He is the author of more than eighty books.

            This book is a much shorter work than N. T. Wright’s normal writings. It was published, along with several other well-known authors, as the Covid-19 pandemic was still in the early stages of development. The author acknowledges that his own emotions in the situation had fluctuated considerably (pg. xi) and that he is seeking to keep his response within Biblical limits within the confines of this book (pg. xi). He admits that his main purpose is not to give “solutions” nor to try for a thorough analysis (pg. xi). Rather, to encourage us to lament and not simply try to jump to a “solution”. His word of warning against instant reactions is certainly helpful, although the reader might rightly wonder how a book rushed to publication has the ability to not be a “knee-jerk” reaction that N. T. Wright is counseling against (pg. xi).

            He begins the book by trying to set the different reactions of Christians to the current situation in a historic framework. The comparison he draws to the ancient world and how they viewed such disasters is intriguing. But here he seems to over-generalize and not represent modern counterparts very well. He seems to suggest that many Christians fall firmly into one of the many possible camps, but this is far too simplistic. This first chapter is too vague. It is unclear who exactly he is arguing against as the caricatures do not seem to stand up under much scrutiny.

            In the second chapter, the author considers several texts in the Old Testament, especially those concerning the Babylonian exile and how the Jewish people viewed that. In the process, he seeks to make a parallel to the current situation. While the parallel is partially helpful, his consideration is less so. He suggests that the current situation should not be used by Christians to call people to repent of their sin (pg. 12). If they do so, then they do not understand the book of Job, N. T. Wright asserts (pg. 12). But this is strange on two counts. First, the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people was clearly a result of their sin and one of the lessons they were to learn from it was to repent. So, he does not follow through with the parallel he is trying to draw. Second, he seems to completely misrepresent the book of Job itself. He says that the book really does not have a “resolution” (pg. 12). Yet, the book clearly resolves with Job admitting that he must trust God because God is God and Job is not. That seems like a clear resolution. This whole section is a bit strange, and several clear flaws seem to be at play. Yet this chapter ends with an excellent exhortation to lament the terrible things in the world and then leave them with God, as Job does (pg. 14).

            In the next chapter, Wright seeks to consider Jesus in the Gospel accounts and what we can learn from His view about natural and artificial evils in the world. However, here too, he seems to be taking aim at an interlocutor that remains in the shadows. It is unclear who exactly he is arguing against in some of his strong statements. For instance, he states that we have split apart the doctrine of God’s providence and His atonement (pg. 28). Yet, it would seem that many Christians, especially those in the reformed camp, would be surprised to hear this. But the main difficulty is that the observation is far too vague to be helpful. This seems to be a mark of this book overall, strong statements being made as if someone believes them while the reader is left in the dark as to whom Wright is referring.

            The fourth chapter gives a helpful consideration of how Christians in the New Testament responded to terrible happenings. He does clearly show that they often failed to respond in the very simplistic ways that Western Christians sometimes do. This is perhaps the most helpful chapter in the book. Unfortunately, following upon this excellent chapter, N. T. Wright goes back to making arguments against vague groups that he does not identify. He also has several lines of argument that are logically fallacious. One example is when he considers how some Christians will claim that God has a purpose in allowing evil in the world, but Wright points to Genesis 6:6 in which God sees evil and is “grieved” in His “heart” (pg. 56). He makes a strong point of this, as if to say: “see it is either God is grieved by sin and terrible things, or He has a purpose for it.” But, of course, these two options are not mutually exclusive. Yet, these issues are seen throughout this chapter. Additionally, N. T. Wright exhibits his lack of Ecclesiological (the doctrine of the church) understanding with some of his comments about church buildings and e-services. He seems to confuse the church building with the actual church (the redeemed believers gathering together). This too makes the final chapter less helpful than hoped.

            Sadly, the main point of the book seems to be that we should not try to look for answers, but that the current situation should lead us to “lament”. But even this suffers from a vagueness. What is the reader supposed to be led to lament? The virus itself, or the fact that viruses exist in the first place, or that sin has affected the world to the point where viruses are a thing? It is all unclear. Furthermore, how does lamenting that there is a virus which has killed people ultimately help the reader? The primary shortfall of this book is the almost complete lack of hope. While it is clear the author is trying to stay away from simply offering petty solutions to the problem, he seems to offer no solution and no hope either. How is it helpful to say that we should simply lament and see what happens? As a whole, this book is deeply dissatisfying and largely unhelpful. The books by John Lennox or John Piper on the pandemic offer much better encouragement, evaluation, and Biblical consideration.

N. T. Wright, God and the Pandemic London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2020. 76pp.