I tried to remain objective about this book. In the final analysis, I am not sure if I did or not. I found the entire book a contrivance of lightweight speculation. That might have been acceptable except the Wright did not even address the elephant in the tent. His entire premise was that monotheism evolved out of polytheism as a result of some sort of conscious process by auhors and editors. Why, and how is never explained. What Wright ignored was the very specific call of Abram out of Ur back in Genesis. Ur was polytheistic and Abram (later changed to Abraham) had relatives back in Ur who remained polytheists. This call explains very neatly the emergence of monotheism and the ongoing struggle the Jews had with polytheistic tendencies without the rampant speculation that Wright engages in often in such extreme ways as to discredit himself.
My other complaint is that almost every page of the book has glaring errors or misstatements. In this way he reminds me very much of Murdock. It is almost impossible to address his errors because they are so many but I will cite one which should be a proxy for all. On page 249 Wright states, "...the real Jesus - the "historical Jesus" - didn't emphasize universal love at all. At least, that's what a close and critical look at the scriptures stongly suggests."
This is a remakable statement.
First, how can the historical Jesus be found in a close examination of the scriptures? The how is to ignore the scriptures or at least reinterpret them in such a way that Jesus disappears.
Second, Wright claims that he is a Christian, and attended Sunday Schoold, etc. Yet he makes a statement like the one cited above which flies in the face of Matthew 28
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Christians are commanded to go into the whole world teaching about the love of Jesus for them. This is such an important passage of scripture that it has its own name. It is called "The Great Commission". It is inconceivable that Wright would not be aware of it if he had even a basic understanding of Christinaity.