The renowned scholar, Anglican bishop, and bestselling author widely considered to be the heir to C. S. Lewis contemplates the central event at the heart of the Christian faith—Jesus’ crucifixion—arguing that the Protestant Reformation did not go far enough in transforming our understanding of its meaning.
In The Day the Revolution Began, N. T. Wright once again challenges commonly held Christian beliefs as he did in his acclaimed Surprised by Hope. Demonstrating the rigorous intellect and breathtaking knowledge that have long defined his work, Wright argues that Jesus’ death on the cross was not only to absolve us of our sins; it was actually the beginning of a revolution commissioning the Christian faithful to a new vocation—a royal priesthood responsible for restoring and reconciling all of God’s creation.
Wright argues that Jesus’ crucifixion must be understood within the much larger story of God’s purposes to bring heaven and earth together. The Day the Revolution Began offers a grand picture of Jesus’ sacrifice and its full significance for the Christian faith, inspiring believers with a renewed sense of mission, purpose, and hope, and reminding them of the crucial role the Christian faith must play in protecting and shaping the future of the world.
N. T. Wright is the former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England and one of the world’s leading Bible scholars. He serves as the chair of New Testament and Early Christianity at the School of Divinity at the University of St. Andrews as well as Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University. He has been featured on ABC News, Dateline, The Colbert Report, and Fresh Air. Wright is the award-winning author of many books, including Paul: A Biography, Simply Christian, Surprised by Hope, The Day the Revolution Began, Simply Jesus, After You Believe, and Scripture and the Authority of God.
Table of Contents
Part 1 Introduction
1 A Vitally Important Scandal Why the Cross? 3
2 Wrestling with the Cross, Then and Now 19
3 The Cross in Its First-Century Setting 51
Part 2 "In Accordance with the Bible": The Stories of Israel
4 The Covenant of Vocation 73
5 "In All the Scriptures" 89
6 The Divine Presence and the Forgiveness of Sins 107
7 Suffering, Redemption, and Love 121
Part 3 The Revolutionary Rescue
8 New Goal, New Humanity 145
9 Jesus's Special Passover 169
10 The Story of the Rescue 195
11 Paul and the Cross: Apart from Romans 227
12 The Death of Jesus in Paul's Letter to the Romans: The New Exodus 263
13 The Death of Jesus in Paul's Letter to the Romans: Passover and Atonement 295