Apprising Ministries has shared concern in e.g. Tim Keller Also Promoting Mystic Guru Peter Scazzero? and Curious Associations Ed Stetzer, Dan Kimball, And Tim Keller MissionSHIFT about reformed pastor Tim Keller involved with things which seem antithetical to Reformation theology.

This would be another of those as Nicholas Batzig tells us in his short post Can This Be Wright?:

Apparently Redeemer Presbyterian Church’s Center for Faith and Work is hosting N.T. Wright, on April 20th, to speak about his latest release, After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters.  How is this not a tacit approval of Wright? (Online source)

From the Events Calendar of the Center for Faith & Word: A Ministry Of Redeemer Presbyterian Church:

“After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters” N.T.Wright
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 @ 07:00 pm

The Center for Faith & Work is hosting Dr. N.T.Wright
“After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters”
He will be discussing his newest book, After You Believe, the third in a series following Simply Christian, and Surprised by Hope.

The lecture will be followed by Q&A as well as a reception where Dr. Wright will be present to sign books available for purchase. Listen to an audio recording of N.T.Wright. (Online source)

This would seem a good place to reiterate Batzig’s question above:  How is this not a tacit approval of Wright? Of this upcoming appearance of N.T. Wright—a leading proponent of The New Perspective on Paul—over at Heidelblog: Recovering the Reformed Confession, Professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Westminster Seminary, R. Scott Clark writes about Wright:

This worries me in four ways. First, it seems to say, “Well, we may disagree on what the gospel is but there are other important areas where we can agree and so we should work together where we can.” I’ve heard and read this sort of rationale. It would be applicable if a) we weren’t talking about a church-sponsored event and b) if we were talking about a matter in the common (not neutral) realm, i.e., were we talking about how we can work together with non-Christians toward a common social good, which wouldn’t regularly occur under the auspices of the visible institutional church.

This doesn’t appear to be the case. The assumption here seems to be that Redeemer and Wright have a “common faith” on which we’ve agreed to disagree about the gospel and move on from there to putting to work the faith on which we do not fundamentally agree. This seems most confused and confusing…

Second, the appearance of a notable critic of the Reformation faith seems to contradict the strong message sent from Redeemer NYC about the nature and importance of the gospel. The senior pastor of Redeemer NYC is a leading member, after all, of “the gospel coalition.”…

Third, inviting a notable, prominent, articulate advocate of a message that is not quite the gospel tends to make the the orthodox confession and proclamation of the gospel seem merely theoretical. This is how dead orthodoxy, i.e., doctrinal formalism starts…

Fourth, Can you imagine the Apostle Paul inviting someone, anyone, to speak at a congregation that one disagreed with Paul as to what the gospel really is? Are you kidding me? We don’t have to imagine at all. He wouldn’t even sit down to eat with his fellow Apostle, Peter who had implicitly contradicted the gospel by refusing to eat with the gentiles… (Online source)

You can read Dr. Clark’s post in its entirety right here. There are those who think bringing up issues like this are using guilt-by-association; however, I would argue that at some point what someone endorses, and those he surrounds himself with, does actually become association with guilt.

See also:

AM Q& A: ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE NEW PERSPECTIVE ON PAUL (NPP)?

CALVINIST CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY/MYSTICISM?

CALVINIST CONTEMPLATIVE/CENTERING PRAYER?

“CELEBRATION OF DISCIPLINE” BY RICHARD FOSTER AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THEOLOGICAL ERROR 

9 MARKS: INTERVARSITY PRESS SEEMS ADRIFT

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR UNLEASHING THE EMERGING CHURCH VIRUS EMBED CODE?

MOVE OVER PASTORS FOR SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS/GURUS