What Did the Cross Accomplish?: A Conversation about the Atonement

by N.T. Wright

There is also a difference between studying the history of a doctrine and studying the history that produced the doctrine, the context out of which the doctrine began. One approach seeks to understand a process, which is a “how” question: “How did theologians teach the doctrine of the atonement down through the years?” The other approach seeks to find an explanation, which is a “why” question: “Why did Jesus tell us to celebrate his death in this way?” Theories are thus not the place to start: Scripture is where to start!17 Scripture carries more authority than tradition. In fact, tradition has no intrinsic authority. This is not to deny that tradition is extremely important. Tradition informs our present theology and thus allows us to enter into a conversation with a larger, older, and more diverse community. Scholars should always be cautious when thinking that they have seen something that no other Christian has ever seen before. Theologians ignore tradition at their own peril. Ignoring Scripture on a subject places one at even greater risk.