Tom Wright, New Testament Exegesis and music

Following the good conversations we had about music and exegesis on the Leonard Cohen post a couple of days ago, I came across this paragraph from one of my favourite books, The Interpretation of the New Testament, 1861-1986, Stephen Neill and Tom Wright (OUP, 1988).

4evangelists "What is it that makes people go on studying the New Testament? Behind all the details of exegesis – of textual criticism, of historical and background studies, even of specific theological debates – the trained ear can hear a counterpoint so fascinating that it compels one to stay where one is and listen. Here, on the one hand, is the busy, running little melody of history: endless detail, constant variety, unexpected surprises, unpredictable people and events. Here, on the other hand, is the slower but richer theme of theology: a powerful sustained tune, taking its time, rising in majestic cadences to its own proper climax. To take another example, and perhaps an appropriate one, from J. S. bach (who after all deserves a place in a book on modern Western interpretation of the New Testament, and not only because of the association in one's mind with Albert Schweitzer), we might think of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. Either of the two themes would by itself be worthy of attention. The combination – the tensions as well as the harmonies – is, for those who stop to listen, utterly compelling." ( pages 439-40.)

Comments

8 responses to “Tom Wright, New Testament Exegesis and music”

  1. Graeme Clark avatar
    Graeme Clark

    on a lighter note check out:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Uwm6EQ-waE

  2. Graeme Clark avatar
    Graeme Clark

    on a lighter note check out:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Uwm6EQ-waE

  3. Craig Gardiner avatar

    I really must work on my book, the metaphor of music continues to inspire much reflection but little typing to regig the PhD. Thanks for another nudge back to the work

  4. Craig Gardiner avatar

    I really must work on my book, the metaphor of music continues to inspire much reflection but little typing to regig the PhD. Thanks for another nudge back to the work

  5. Craig Gardiner avatar

    Thinking about this further and having enjoyed Richard Kidd and Graham Sparks on Art at the BUGB Assembly is it a time to begin a baptists doing theology through the arts ‘thing’?

  6. Craig Gardiner avatar

    Thinking about this further and having enjoyed Richard Kidd and Graham Sparks on Art at the BUGB Assembly is it a time to begin a baptists doing theology through the arts ‘thing’?

  7. Jim Gordon avatar

    Just finished our course at College on Jesus Through the Centuries. Poetry, music, hymnology, iconography, painting, sculpture, film – all of it rich, at times strange, challenging the way we see and don’t see, forcing us to think, and think again, about how we think of Jesus, how we see both Jesus and everything else in the light shed by Jesus. I for one would be very interested in exploring theology through art – and art theologically.
    The music as metaphor is interesting (as in your superb lecture |Craig), but not what I am after in my own explorations – it’s music as music, juxtaposed to text as text, and what each does to the other as they are performed in each other’s company!

  8. Jim Gordon avatar

    Just finished our course at College on Jesus Through the Centuries. Poetry, music, hymnology, iconography, painting, sculpture, film – all of it rich, at times strange, challenging the way we see and don’t see, forcing us to think, and think again, about how we think of Jesus, how we see both Jesus and everything else in the light shed by Jesus. I for one would be very interested in exploring theology through art – and art theologically.
    The music as metaphor is interesting (as in your superb lecture |Craig), but not what I am after in my own explorations – it’s music as music, juxtaposed to text as text, and what each does to the other as they are performed in each other’s company!

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