ABSTRACT
The secondary themes of N. T. Wright's The New Testament and the People of God include the value of an interpretive approach known as "critical realism," the use of stories in ancient cultures, and the eschatology of first-century Jews. Several additional ideas and proposals emerge throughout The New Testament and the People of God that relate to Wright's ideas about interpretation. Wright's attention to the eschatological assumptions held by first-century Jews convincingly demonstrates that such an idea would not have been commonly held by first-century Jews nor, by implication, early Christians. Wright contrasts "critical realism" with other methods, which he believes to be extreme and misguided. Wright's discussion of this topic is illuminating and offers rich and helpful insights for readers, both students and academics, who wish to arrive at a greater understanding of the religious thought of first-century Jews and Christians.
