Approaching the Atonement: The Reconciling Work of Christ
Overview
In many ways, the death of Jesus Christ on the cross stands at the heart of the Christian faith. But how should we understand the theological significance of Christ’s death? How has the church interpreted that event in developing a doctrine of atonement? Should we limit our doctrine of the atonement to the cross, or is Christ’s work more expansive than that? Theologian Oliver Crisp explores such questions around the meaning of the cross and the various ways that the death of Jesus has been interpreted in the church’s history—from ransom theory in the early church to penal substitutionary theory to more recent feminist critiques. What emerges from this study is a more complex, expansive, and fruitful understanding of the atonement and its significance for the Christian faith today.
- Provides a complex, expansive, and fruitful understanding of the atonement and its significance for the Christian faith today
- Examines the theological signifigance and interpretation of Christ’s death
- Surveys the history of doctrinal views on the atonement
- Introduction
- Approaching the Atonement
- Several Patristic Accounts of Atonement
- The Ransom Account of Atonement
- The Satisfaction Doctrine of Atonement
- Moral Exemplarism and Atonement
- Penal Substitutionary Atonement
- Governmental and Vicarious Penitence Doctrines of Atonement
- The Problem of Atoning Violence
- Mashup and Kaleidoscopic Accounts of Atonement
- Participation and Atonement
Top Highlights
“Rectoral justice is the justice by means of which God rightly governs the cosmos according to his holy law. By contrast, retributive justice has to do with the way in which God ensures that sin is appropriately punished, where there must be a fit between the crime committed and the penalty incurred.” (Page 117)
“the life and ministry of Christ were the precondition for his atonement, but not part of it.” (Page 18)
“Third, and arising from consideration of the two previous worries, we may wonder whether the governmental account of atonement is really a doctrine of atonement at all. For if Christ is merely a penal example to fallen human beings then it appears that Christ’s work does not atone for anyone, strictly speaking. In response to this worry, defenders of the governmental view could claim that Christ’s work makes it possible for God to forgive human sin, so it does bring about reconciliation with God.” (Pages 122–123)
“Mashup views cannibalize historic doctrines, models, and metaphors of atonement to construct new composite doctrines of Christ’s reconciling work. Kaleidoscopic views of atonement offer a theory about how to construe the different existing doctrines of the atonement—what we might call a theory about the different models of atonement and their explanatory power.” (Page 9)
“He does pay what would be the penalty due for human sin if it were visited upon us. For this reason he does release us from the requirements of the moral law by taking upon himself what would be the penal consequences of our sin as our penal example.” (Page 117)
With characteristic lucidity and insight, Oliver Crisp offers in this text an accessible yet contoured presentation of Christian teaching on the death of Jesus Christ. The volume explores the variety that exists among classic theological accounts of the atonement, explaining and critiquing their particularities while setting aside certain popular misreadings. Yet the volume also sets forth the outlines of a richly constructive account of the doctrine of the atonement that is highly creative while remaining attentive to the Scriptures and sensitive to tradition. This book will inform and challenge students of theology in welcome ways.
—Professor Paul T. Nimmo, King’s Chair of Systematic Theology, University of Aberdeen
Approaching the Atonement does many things very well. It provides a surefooted, historically and theologically informed survey of the doctrine of the atonement. It does so while engaging both creatively and critically with the classic models of the atonement. Moreover, it advances new and helpful frameworks for understanding the atonement and for addressing important objections raised in connection with the doctrine. Throughout, Professor Crisp displays a combination of clarity and rigor that is as characteristic of his work as it is generally rare in academic writing.
—Steven R. Guthrie, professor of theology/religion and the arts, Belmont University
There is more to this deceitfully little treatise on atonement than meets the eye, a superb reflection on the central theme of our faith and theology. This is vintage Oliver Crisp: wide learning, sharp analysis, careful consideration of options, and a thoughtful tentative solution. Oliver moves effortlessly between biblical, historical, philosophical, dogmatic, and contemporary contextual issues. This is retrieval theology at its best, an effort to rediscover the best of the tradition for the sake of the contemporary world. Highly recommended for both the newly initiated and the masters in the guild—everyone will benefit greatly!
—Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, professor of systematic theology, Fuller Theological Seminary and docent of ecumenics, University of Helsinki