Theologian NT Wright to lead conference on Philippians at Texas megachurch
Park Cities Baptist Church of Dallas is set to host world-renowned New Testament scholar N.T. Wright for a three-day conference focused on the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi.
“Exploring Philippians with N.T. Wright,” will feature seven in-depth teaching sessions on Paul’s letter to the Philippians, multiple live Q&A opportunities with Wright, and focused conversations on the Church’s role in today’s cultural moment.
Jeff Warren, senior pastor of Park Cities Baptist, shared Wright’s influence on his own ministry.
“N.T. Wright has impacted my ministry in big ways over the past 20, 25 years, particularly with his articulation of the Kingdom of God and understanding of the Church as a working model of new creation that has impacted my ministry as a pastor and our church here in Dallas,” he told The Christian Post on Friday.
Best known for his groundbreaking work on Pauline theology, the historical Jesus, and the resurrection, the 76-year-old Wright has a gift for making Christian doctrine practical and relatable, Warren said.
“So many Evangelicals, even Baptists, have grown up to say the real game is to get people in Heaven, when in actuality it’s that we’re transformed by the Gospel to live out the life of Jesus in the here and now,” said Warren. “That theology applied, the Bible applied, looks like Jesus. Jesus is perfect theology embodied.”
The New Testament letter to the Philippians, said Wright, shares a number of similarities with Christianity today, including its tension with what is often a hostile culture. While the conference will tackle a number of hot topics for Evangelicals, Warren said he expects to hear a robust discussion on Christian nationalism and its impact on the Church.
“We’re going to talk about the difference between Christian nationalism and a healthy patriotism,” he said. “I think Christian nationalism is the great barrier to the advancement of the Gospel in America. When you conflate worldly power with the Church, you end up with a parody of the Kingdom. You end up with a false kingdom presented.”
Even with its primary focus on theology, Warren said his primary hope for attendees is that, through sound doctrine, they grow closer in intimacy with Christ.
“My great takeaway is that people will be walking closer to Jesus as a result of being with us,” he added.
The event has already drawn over 700 registrants, which, said Warren, has already blown past the church’s expectations. “The numbers have exceeded what we thought we would get,” he said. “... We’re really pleased. It’s going to be a great conference.”
The event begins Sunday at 6 p.m. with session one (registration opens at 5 p.m.) and continues Monday and Tuesday with morning and afternoon sessions, breaks, lunch and extended Q&A periods with professor Wright.
While the conference will not be live-streamed, Warren confirmed that portions — particularly the Q&A sessions — will be released on the church’s podcast in the coming days, with some content possibly available as early as Sunday morning.
“Exploring Philippians with N.T. Wright” will run from Nov. 9–11.
