atonement
Atonement without participation?
In the substitution theory, God simply does stuff for us. What about the relational God of the Bible?
Restorative justice with Anselm
The satisfaction theory of atonement offers my incarcerated students something the substitution theory does not: a way to make amends and be restored.
What does the cross mean for people with disabilities?
David McLachlan proposes a participatory atonement in which God engages creation’s contingency and vulnerability.
by Aaron Klink
An epidemic of moral injury
Christians have an opportunity to transform a faith that has fueled genocide, slavery, war, and kleptocracy.
Why I’ve come back around to substitutionary atonement
Sometimes sacrifice is an act of love.
Lenten roundup
Looking for a Lenten devotional? Try one of these.
True witness, absurd violence
Pope Francis’s response to the killing of a French priest puzzled some. But it pointed to the true nature of Christian witness.
Why give alms?
Belief in the incarnation places suffering bodies within the realm of Christian responsibility.
Speaking of the cross
Much of what Christianity has long been saying about the cross of Christ is problematic. So what is to be done about it?
The Death of the Messiah and the Birth of the New Covenant, by Michael J. Gorman
For there to be a heresy about the cross, there would have to be an orthodoxy about it. Michael Gorman argues that contentions over how Jesus saves lead to an inadequate grasp of what the Passion means and does.
reviewed by S. Mark Heim
Books that have changed Jonathan Merritt
Jonathan Merritt writes books and articles that change people. He’s a senior writer for the Religion News Service and just last week, he won the 2014 Religion Commentary of the Year from the Religion Newswriters Association.
Questions for Christians, by John Morreall
John Morreall's book is modeled after Peter Abelard's Sic et Non. Morreall wants Christians to ask questions of their beliefs and practices.
reviewed by Robert Cornwall
My fear of the cross
In Sunday school I colored in Jesus’ crown of thorns, brown for brambles and red for dripping blood.
Executing God, by Sharon L. Baker
For Sharon Baker, theological consistency is essential, because “our perception of God influences how we behave.”
reviewed by Deanna A. Thompson
Laying one down: Baseball and sacrifice
A runner is stranded on base, in a far country, unable to get home on his own. The batter bunts, aiming to obey the manager.
by John Bowlin
The ultimate mystery
In every age, the crucifixion has compelled artists with its raw human drama, as well as with its deeper meaning.
Violence interrupted: A video course on Jesus as forgiving victim
The theme of James Alison’s video Bible study is the main theme he sees in scripture: that the creation of scapegoats must end.
Affirmation of being: In defense of atonement theology
Explanations of the cross have been subject to major critiques in recent decades. Is it really the case that, given human sin, someone has to pay?