James K. Beilby and Paul R. Eddy edit a collection of essays on four views of atonement: the healing view, the Christus victor view, the kaleidoscopic view and the penal substitutionary view. This is a book that will help Christians understand the issues, grasp the differences and proceed toward a clearer articulation of their understanding of the atonement.
How could the life, let alone the death, of one man 2,000 years ago be the salvation of the human race? Donald Macleod explains the centrality of the atonement in Christian faith and experience, using seven key words to describe what happened on the cross: substitution, expiation, propitiation, reconciliation, satisfaction, redemption and victory.
At the very center of the Christian faith is Jesus, a crucified Messiah. All the wisdom and the power of God have been revealed in him. Apart from such wisdom and power no genuine Christian experience is possible. Unfortunately, Western Christianity has been so conditioned by Constantinian presuppositions that it has failed to take into account the centrality of the crucified Messiah. It has been far more preoccupied with worldly wisdom and worldly power than with faithfulness to the gospel of the kingdom. It has concentrated on the salvation of the individual soul but has frequently disregarded God's purpose to create a new humanity marked by sacrificial love and justice for the poor. In the classical theories on the atonement, the work of Christ was unrelated to God's intention to create a new humanity. Driver here demonstrates that the covenanted community of God's people is the essential context for understanding the atonement. The reconciling work of Christ creates a reconciling community where all the barriers that divide humankind break down. Driver's book is an invitation to look at the cross, not merely as the source of individual salvation, but as the place wherein begins the renewal of the creation -- the new heavens and the new earth that God has promised and that the messianic community anticipates. May many readers heed its message! --C. Rene Padilla Buenos Aires
Exploring nonviolent images of atonement-- The "sacrifice" of Jesus is one of the most central doctrines in Christianity--and one of the most controversial, especially in contemporary debate (and after the appearance of films such as The Passion of the Christ). The implications of a violent parent and the necessity of innocent suffering are profoundly troubling to many people. Are they nevertheless necessary elements of Christian theology? Christian A. Eberhart makes a decisive contribution to these debates by carefully and clearly examining the Old Testament metaphors of sacrifice and atonement and the ways these metaphors were taken over by early Christians to speak of the significance of Christ. Eberhart shows that these New Testament appropriations have been misunderstood as requiring a logic of necessary violence; rather they speak to larger Christological themes concerning the whole mission and life of Jesus.
The doctrine of the atonement is the distinctive doctrine of Christianity. Over the course of many centuries of reflection, highly diverse interpretations of the doctrine have been proposed. In the context of this history of interpretation, Eleonore Stump considers the doctrine afresh with philosophical care. Whatever exactly the atonement is, it is supposed to include a solution to the problems of the human condition, especially its guilt and shame. Stump canvasses the major interpretations of the doctrine that attempt to explain this solution and argues that all of them have serious shortcomings. In their place, she argues for an interpretation that is both novel and yet traditional and that has significant advantages over other interpretations, including Anselm's well-known account of the doctrine. In the process, she also discusses love, union, guilt, shame, forgiveness, retribution, punishment, shared attention, mind-reading, empathy, and various other issues in moral psychology and ethics.
This accessible yet comprehensive primer explores the breadth of viewpoints on major issues in evangelical theology by examining positions taken by evangelicals on seventeen seminal issues. The second edition retains the helpful features of the first edition and adds an appendix that addresses thirteen peripheral issues in contemporary evangelicalism. Praise for the first edition "The authors do what no book on the market does: In one volume they faithfully present divergent views on the crucial issues that divide evangelicals, and they do so in an unbiased, succinct, and lively manner. This book is perfect as a supplemental text in an introductory theology course or as a manual for church study groups. It will help everyone arrive at his or her own conclusions within the parameters of the evangelical tradition."--Dennis Okholm, Azusa Pacific University "Across the Spectrum succeeds with distinction in at least two respects. First, it represents a very useful tool for those who wish to begin grappling with different approaches to difficult theological problems. The book will be most helpful to beginning students in evangelical theology, the target audience. Second, the work presents various perspectives in fair and unbiased tones. . . . If used with care, it will repeatedly reward the reader with its fair and even treatment of different theological views."--Nathan D. Holsteen, Bibliotheca Sacra "I've been waiting for this book for some time. Due to its brief, nontechnical format, it can be used in a variety of ways in undergraduate theology courses. Although a concise volume, it succinctly outlines multiple arguments, both pro and con, for (incredibly!) over two dozen issues in disputed, largely non-fundamental areas of doctrine. The professor can present positions in favor of particular views or leave the issues open. It's settled--I'm requiring it!"--Gary R. Habermas, Liberty University "A collective sigh of relief will arise from the evangelical student body when it discovers this book! It helpfully and critically surveys the many legitimate evangelical theological options and convincingly demonstrates that there is no single authentically evangelical viewpoint on a wide range of controversial issues. It constitutes a small library between two covers."--Roger E. Olson, George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University
At some point in the Christian faith journey, most people ask the question, “Why did Jesus die?” The most common answer is, “For my sins.” But what if Jesus died because of the sin of humanity, not for individual sins? It seems weirdly illogical for a God who is love (1 John 4:8) to demand a blood sacrifice to cover sin. It is not what the Jewish sacrificial system supported either. I hope that this book will help us understand that God loves us and will not forsake us. Ever. Forgiveness is about love, not punishment.
This singular volume presents a tapestry of symbols and foreshadowings of the Atonement. And as we study the symbols, we can learn deep truths about Jesus Christ and his mission and increase our desire to become like God. Symbols and Shadows is a unique book that oAnalyzes the many symbols of the Atonement - some familiar, some unexpected - and encourages us to look deeper into the scriptures. oDiscusses why Jesus Christ was uniquely qualified to be the Atoner. oExamines the fulfillment of the Atonement in Christ's mortal life and sacrifice. oDetails the multitude of symbols and shadows in the scriptures that testify of the infinite atonement and the blessings of God's grace. This remarkable book will bring you closer to the Savior, enabling you to more fully partake of all that he offers, especially the greatest of all heavenly gifts: his infinite Atonement.
When a popular British evangelical leader appeared to denounce the idea that God was punishing Christ in our place on the cross as a twisted version of events, morally dubious, and a huge barrier to faith that should be rejected in favour of preaching only that God is love, major controversy was stirred. Many thought the idea of penal substitution was at the heart of the evangelical understanding of the cross, if not the only legitimate interpretation of the death of Christ. Yet for some time less popular evangelical theologians had been calling this traditional interpretation of the atonement into question. So, is the traditional evangelical view of penal substitution the biblical explanation of Christ's death or one of many? Is it the non'negotiable heart of evangelical theology or a time bound explanation that has outlived its usefulness? What does the cross say about the character of God, the nature of the law and sin, the meaning of grace, and our approach to missions?
The extent of Christ’s atoning work on the cross is one of the most divisive issues in evangelical Christianity. In The Extent of the Atonement: A Historical and Critical Review, David L. Allen makes a biblical, historical, theological, and practical case for a universal atonement. Through a comprehensive historical survey, Allen contends that universal atonement has always been the majority view of Christians, and that even among Calvinist theologians there is a considerable range of views. Marshalling evidence from Scripture and history, and critiquing arguments for a limited atonement, Allen affirms that an unlimited atonement is the best understanding of Christ’s saving work. He concludes by showing that an unlimited atonement provides the best foundation for evangelism, missions, and preaching.
