"simply christian"

I've finished (for the second time) "Simply Christian" by N.T. Wright. It was definitely a much quicker read than "Surprised By Hope." While "Surprised By Hope" focused, primarily, on Christian eschatology in light of the resurrection of Christ, "Simply Christian" is more or less an introduction to Christianity from Wright's perspective. He employs several arguments for God's existence and then stretches these through the entirety of the book. After giving the arguments, he then dives into the nature of the Judeo-Christian God, the story of Israel, and its climax in Christ (which takes several chapters). He doesn't go into much detail, since this is introductory material, but the material he does give is very good. He then moves on to talking about the Spirit of God and its role in the church and in the lives of Christians, individually and corporately. He spends some time talking about the mission of Christians, the mission of the church, and then looks at some of the basic elements of the Christian life, e.g. worship, scripture, and prayer. Overall it's a pretty fantastic book, a pretty easy read for those familiar with Wright's thought. Next I'm plunging into "The Challenge of Jesus," which is much more intricate and detailed (basically Wright does in the entire book what he does in two chapters from "Simply Christian"). This means that it will take me quite a while to get through "The Challenge of Jesus," but I'm looking forward to it. It's always good to read Wright next to the fireplace with a double-shot of bourbon.