The Society for the Advancement of Ecclesiological Theology

May 1, 2010 by Gerald Hiestand

The (No Longer) Bishop Wright

Readers of this blog have already likely heard the news that Tom Wright has resigned as Bishop of Durham to take up a new appointment as Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews in Scotland (full story here). He explains his decision:

“This has been the hardest decision of my life. It has been an indescribable privilege to be Bishop of the ancient Diocese of Durham, to work with a superb team of colleagues, to take part in the work of God’s kingdom here in the north-east, and to represent the region and its churches in the House of Lords and in General Synod. I have loved the people, the place, the heritage and the work. But my continuing vocation to be a writer, teacher and broadcaster, for the benefit (I hope) of the wider world and church, has been increasingly difficult to combine with the complex demands and duties of a diocesan bishop. I am very sad about this, but the choice has become increasingly clear.”

Sad indeed. Not so much because Wright has chosen wrongly (God knows). But rather because our contemporary context has forced him to choose. I’ve no idea what life is like as a diocesan bishop, but if it’s anything like much of contemporary pastoral ministry, no doubt it involves a heavy amount of administrative work. The church has allowed modern life to push parish work in an increasingly administrative direction. Consequently, most pastors are sorely tempted to neglect the ministry of the Word and prayer to wait on tables; we’ve ceased to function as elders and have resigned ourselves to serving as deacons.  Wright, who has always advocated for living within the tension that exists between the ecclesial and scholarly communities, shows just how hard it can be to straddle the fence in our modern context.

I don’t fault Wright for leaving the church. But I do fault the church for not making room for its pastors and bishops to function as robust scholars and theologians. Sad times are these when the only place a Christian theologian can flourish is outside the church.

Yet, by God’s grace, I have faith to believe a better day is dawning.

Categories: Tom Wright