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Name recognition alone should guarantee widespread interest in Piper's critique. Scholar-pastor Wright and pastor-scholar Piper have popularized theology among many young evangelicals. Indeed, the book's singular focus on Wright testifies to the influence of the Anglican bishop of Durham. And because Piper considers the debate to be of crucial importance, so will many of his followers. How will the contours change now that the debate has broken out of the seminaries and into the churches?

Here's what I find odd about the current swell of interest in the new perspective. You won't hear the same concern from leading evangelical scholars in seminaries and colleges. Those who endorse the new perspective consider these insights to be assumed for biblical studies. Critics seem rather satisfied with the spate of books that have taken the new perspective to task. They have moved on to the next big thing, whatever that might be. I suspect they will need to re-engage now that the debate has finally escaped their domain.

Ben Witherington explores the culture of Michael Vick.

• Baker has published Darrell Bock's commentary on Acts.
  
  
• Rick Phillips reflects on Mother Teresa's crisis of faith.
  
  
• Mark Driscoll, who previously published with Zondervan, reveals that he expects to publish seven books with Crossway in 2008. Will any of them explain the theological implications of Ultimate Fighting?
  
  

"For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." ()

Collin Hansen is a CT editor-at-large.

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August (Web-only) 2007, Vol. 51