Thank you for that quote N. T. Wright’s Last Word. It is wise in that it points to a large part of the problem is a human problem rather than a faith problem.
Some people seem to think that just because they understand the Bible in a certain way they have faith and they are saved. He understands wisely that this is not true.
First of all our faith in not in the Bible, but in Jesus Christ. In fact wright did not want the book to be entitled the Last Word because The Last Word, as in the Ultimate Final Word (Logos) is Jesus Christ, not the Bible. When we understand that we relax about the details of what the Bible says and look at the whole picture of God’s plan of salvation.
Second, Wright criticizes pre-modernism, modernism, and post modernism, so there is no easy solution to understanding the Bible. I wish he had said that there is no easy solution to understanding life. This is not a theological problem, this is a scientific, philosophical, human problem, that requires a scientific, philosophical, human response.
Third, the biggest problem we have is that most people on all sides do not realize that there is a problem with language and how Westerner understand life. They think that their point of view is just fine, or needs just a little fine tuning. The first step in solving a problem is understanding that there is a problem.
Fourth, Wright did not put forward a solution to the problem in your quote from the beginning of the book. If one does not know that there is a problem, one will not put forward a solution, that can be discussed and accepted or rejected. Right now I am not interested in a diagnosis of the problem. I want a solution that than be discussed. He must have put something forward in the book that you can quote to see if it is useful.
Five, God has given a basic answer to understanding reality through the Trinity. For some reason people, believers as well as unbelievers do not want to explore that possibility. I fail to understand why we do not want to accept this wonderful gift of knowledge and understanding God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, has given to Christians and humanity.