The Day the Revolution Began - by N T Wright (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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.

From the Back Cover

When Jesus of Nazareth died the horrible death of crucifixion at the hands of the Roman army, nobody thought him a hero. His movement was over. Nothing had changed. This was the sort of thing that Rome did best. Caesar was on his throne. Death, as usual, had the last word.

Except that in this case it didn't. As Jesus's followers looked back on that day, they came up with the shocking, scandalous, nonsensical claim that his death had launched a revolution. That by 6:00 p.m. on that dark Friday the world was a different place. They believed that with this event the one true God had suddenly and dramatically put into operation his plan for the rescue of the world. They saw it as the day the revolution began."

Leading Bible scholar, Anglican bishop, and bestselling author N. T. Wright argues that the church has lost touch with the revolutionary nature of the cross. Most Christians have been taught a reduced message that the death of Jesus was all about "God saving me from my 'sin' so that I could 'go to heaven.'" According to Wright, this version misconstrues why Jesus had to die, the nature of our sins, and what our mission is in the world today.

In his paradigm-shifting book Surprised by Hope, Wright showed that the Bible's message is not that heaven is where we go in the future; rather, the Bible sees the primary movement as heaven coming down to earth, redeeming the world, beginning now. In this companion book, Wright shows how Christianity's central story tells how this revolution began on a Friday afternoon two thousand years ago and continues now through the church's work today. Wright seeks to wake up the church to its own story, to invite us to join in Jesus's work of redeeming the world--to join his revolution.

Review Quotes

"Wright's unwavering faith in the resurrection is quite evident as he defends the Easter narratives on historical and theological grounds." - America Magazine
"When it comes to questions of Christ's resurrection and what that means, no one is more persuasive. Surprised by Hope builds on C. S. Lewis' succinct defense of the faith and takes it to a new level." - World Magazine
"With this work, N.T. Wright topples the simplistic, personalized view of the cross and the bloodthirsty God that once wrecked my own faith. Instead, we find the cross illuminated by a God that invites us to bring goodness into this world instead of trying to escape it." - Mike McHargue, author of Finding God in the Waves and host of The Liturgists Podcast and Ask Science Mike
"The question 'Why did Jesus have to die?' has haunted the human race for two thousand years. Wright locates the crucifixion in the sweep of Israel's story (and ours) with power, depth, and freshness of thought." - John Ortberg, senior pastor of Menlo Church and author of All The Places To Go
"Many have wondered where N.T. Wright stood in the atonement debate. He applies his story of Israel and the church to the cross, setting it into a historical and narrative matrix that sheds light on the heart of the gospel that comes from the heart of God's love." - Scot McKnight, author of The King Jesus Gospel
"From the day that Christ was crucified his followers have sought to understand the meaning of the cross. NT Wright has written one of the most important books on this subject ever written. Carefully examining the biblical texts, Wright invites his readers to recognize that 'pat' answers about the meaning of the cross come up short. There's something deeper, more revolutionary, that happened on the cross. This book will help you discover the meaning of the cross." - Adam Hamilton, author of Making Sense of the Bible
"Wright's bracing and thought-provoking exegesis should inform and encourage everyone concerned with Christianity's continuing vitality." - Booklist (Starred Review)
"Offers a comprehensive interpretation of Jesus's sacrifice and its significance for the Christian Faith" - Publishers Weekly
"Wright marshals his deep knowledge of the first century world, his architectonic grasp of early Christianity, his sharp intelligence, his refusal to be forced into false either-ors, and his integrity to help us give us a bigger and richer view of the Cross - and a call to revolutionary cross-shaped living." - Michael Lloyd, Principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, and author of Café Theology
"A thought-provoking book...both simple and world-shaking. Highly recommended." - Library Journal (Starred Review)
"Wonderfully rich and provocative . . . this book could be entitled Your Cross Is Too Small. Our individualistic views of the atonement and, for that matter, the gospel, don't begin to do justice to the full implications of the New Testament understanding of the implications of Jesus's death and resurrection." - The Covenant Companion
"The question "Why did Jesus have to die?" has haunted the human race for two thousand years. I can't imagine anyone who cares about that question not reading N.T. Wright's The Day the Revolution Began. He locates the crucifixion in the sweep of Israel's story (and ours) with power and depth and freshness of thought." - John Ortberg, senior pastor of Menlo Church and author of All The Places To Go