In a recent installment of his podcast “Ask N.T. Wright Anything,” prominent New Testament scholar N.T. Wright made statements about abortion that have prompted significant discussion and pushback among Christians. Wright articulated that in some dire circumstances, although “we do not want to do this in principle,” and “with sorrow and a bit of shame,” the “best thing to do is as soon as possible to terminate the pregnancy.” He specified these circumstances to include severe fetal deformity, considerations for the mother’s mental health, and cases resulting from rape or incest.
Wright explained his position by sharing a personal experience where a pregnant family member was exposed to rubella, a situation that carried a high risk of fetal deformities. He recalled that a doctor, despite being a “devout Christian,” suggested termination might be warranted for the mother’s mental health. While the child was ultimately born healthy, Wright stated that the experience made him “very sensitive” to cases where abortion is considered due to a conflict between the mother’s and child’s health.
The theologian condemned late-term abortions and infanticide as “not only wrong but repulsive,” drawing parallels to ancient pagan practices. He asserted that “in principle, [abortion] is not something which we should welcome. It is not something which we should collude with.” Yet, he maintained that in the specific exceptions he outlined, “the sooner the better” for termination. Wright acknowledged that unborn children possess awareness, stating, “We’re not just talking about some inert lump of matter which we can just get rid of as we please.” He also suggested that much of the opposition to abortion stems from a backlash against the sexual revolution, rather than solely a desire to protect human life.
Wright was also critical of the Roman Catholic Church’s firm stance against abortion, describing it as “unmarried men from the Catholic hierarchy” dictating to women who are victims of rape and incest, calling it “part of the same system of male bullying, which we have to avoid like the plague.”
Wright’s comments were met with swift condemnation from various Christian figures. Denny Burk, president of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, deemed Wright’s position “incoherent,” arguing that he condones killing unborn children so long as it’s done “as soon as possible” while simultaneously admitting he doesn’t know when viability occurs. Doug McHone similarly stated that Wright is “in gross violation of biblical standards regarding the sanctity of life.”
Matt Walsh, with The Daily Wire, offered a strong rebuke, stating on his show, “So N.T. Wright is disqualified from ever being taken seriously about any theological or moral issue ever again.” Walsh further recommended that Christians avoid reading, listening to, or consulting Wright’s works.
Writing for The Gospel Coalition (TGC) Canada, Wyatt Graham offered a theological response to Wright’s arguments. Graham acknowledged Wright’s pastoral concerns and his focus on exceptional circumstances, but argued that Wright’s position is “morally impossible to sustain.”
Graham pinpointed Wright’s reliance on the concept of “viability” as a crucial flaw. He contended that if one doesn’t know when a human being is viable, then any decision to terminate runs the “deep risk of killing a viable human being”—an “impossible moral situation.” Graham emphasized that the Bible teaches all human life is made in God’s image and belongs to God, therefore it “cannot be ours to take, any human made in God’s image cannot be ours to destroy, and any human made by God cannot be ours to unmake.”
Regarding rape and incest, Graham asserted that while these are “vile acts,” human suffering “does not change reality.” He argued that “a human life conceived in sin deserves to be protected and cherished,” and that one evil (rape or incest) should not lead to another (abortion).
Wright’s approach to what some consider “complex” theological questions, characterized by introducing nuanced distinctions, has consistently been a source of controversy. This pattern is evident in his past statements where he considers some individuals to be Christians even if they do not affirm the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Citing his friend Marcus Borg, a leader of the controversial Jesus Seminar who denied the bodily resurrection and other core doctrines, Wright described Borg as a “muddled Christian.” Wright explained that Borg came from a fundamentalist background that made belief in a bodily resurrection difficult for him, leading to a “Christian Platonist” view. Despite Borg’s denials, Wright concluded, “Now, someone who prays like that and someone who is earnestly claiming Jesus as the light of the world and seeking to make Jesus truth and life, his own truth and life, I want to say this man is a Christian… a muddled Christian.” While acknowledging that churches losing their grip on the bodily resurrection are “in deep trouble,” Wright believes that some genuinely “muddled Christians” are still earnestly seeking Jesus.
