The quest for the Historical NT Wrong is in full swing on James McGrath’s blog. I have been called out as the ‘man behind the Wrong!” But clearly it cannot be me. One will make note that I’ve had conversations on Wrong’s blog here and here. It could be that somebody clever enough could have arranged this conversation, and who better than I, if I were the real NT Wrong, but I don’t think I’m that clever.
I also do not have the stunning wit nor the UK email address necessary to be Wrong, and clearly, as a product of American public schools, I could not even identify where Barnsley, South Yorkshire is on a map.
James’ analysis of my name is equally wrong (no pun intended), as I have written on its origins (in some degree) here. Also, in my “About Me” section of my blog, I write that I am “Not a fish,” which would indicate that I can not swim. Since the UK is an Island, I cannot be Wrong, despite the possibility that Wrong is indeed a name of a pet fish that the elusive writer of Bishop Wrong’s blog may have caught while fishing in the waters around his home.
And, while James may be correct about my analysis of the evidence, the reason why I am less likely to be a fictional creation is that my name is not eponymous (unless you suggest that by the name Thomas I am calling myself “the Twin” of NT Wrong, thereby claiming that I am him), but NT Wrong’s blog clearly states that the name “NT Wrong” is, in fact, an eponymous creation.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Why “N.T. Wrong”?
“N.T.” stands for “New Testament”, a collection of writings which turn out to be mostly wrong.
This used to be up in his FAQ, but I now, no longer, see it there. The author realized we were on to him and quickly replaced it with his Biblioblog list. The fact that this early version of Wrong’s redaction here is clear evidence that the author NT Wrong is a eponymic name for an anonymous blogger (or group of bloggers). Hereby validated my position that NT Wrong is not a historical person. Clearly, as Paul suggests that Jesus’ name was given, NT Wrong is a title taken on as a badge of honor, to right the “Wronged” in scholarship. While we quibble over who this “historical” NT Wrong is, we fracture NT Wrong’s blog up so much that we loose sight over the edifying narratives within. We completely miss out on such wonderous and thought-provoking posts like NT Wright’s delusions about the undead in Jerusalem or Wrights ever increasing fanaticism.
In any event, my case is that clearly NT Wrong is a title that did not come about ex nihilo, but neither did his blog. That we can all agree on. But we must not lose sight of the wonderfully funny things that “Wrong” has done, when explained in the narrative of a blog post.
