"N. T. Wright's thesis that most Second Temple Jews believed that they were in a protracted state of punitive exile, despite the fact that many Judeans had returned to the land from Babylon, is one of the most exciting and controversial proposals in biblical scholarship. In this volume, James Scott has assembled a wonderful cast of scholars to prod, evaluate, critique, and engage Wright's thesis about exile in biblical theology, Jewish literature, and as a theological idea in the New Testament. It's the best exploration to date of what it meant for the Jewish people, including the early church, to look forward to the day when 'many will come from the east and west to recline in the company of Abraham.'"

"For some New Testament scholars, the notion of exiled Israel awaiting return is a powerful explanatory paradigm for a range of biblical texts. For others, it is a vague impulse that may or may not have been 'in the air' in the first century but in any case does little interpretive work for reading the Gospels and Paul. This fresh engagement with N. T. Wright's thesis and his restatement of it and response to critics brings the discussion up to date and provides scholars and students with an excellent survey of the state of the question."

"Editor James Scott suggests that many scholars think Tom Wright's thesis of ongoing exile in Second Temple Judaism and its role in the visions of Jesus and Paul is either his 'greatest accomplishment' or his 'most serious weakness.' This collection of perceptive essays engages Wright's thesis in a dialogical manner, generally affirming but also refining, developing, and challenging aspects of it. A book not to be missed by anyone interested in this important topic."

"The idea of the end of Israel's exile is one of the most distinctive features of N. T. Wright's ambitious construction of a theology of Jesus and Paul. It has also proved controversial. Most of the essays in this volume are broadly favorable toward Wright's project but probe the idea of 'exile' from various perspectives. The arguments they advance and the responses Wright gives are full of interest. Both fans and critics of Wright's work will find themselves entering a fruitful conversation."

"Over the course of his remarkable career, N. T. Wright has somehow managed to ignite contemporary biblical scholarship's most burning questions. Of these, one of the hottest revolves around Wright's thesis of ongoing exile. Now James Scott and company do us a great service by providing some important illumination on an issue that for too long has been dominated by reactive smoke and heat."

"The entire compendium, employing perspectives from Hebrew Bible, LXX, Scrolls and NT, is deeply engaging, adding layers to a clearly broadening dialogue."

"Exile: A Conversation with N. T. Wright is undoubtedly a testament to the importance of Wright's work and to the importance of the theme of exile itself. The conversation is certainly worth continuing."