Problems with Atonement, excerpt (original) (raw)

Bibliographic article showing important works on many aspects of Atonement: theories about Hebrew sacrifice, Greek sacrifice, Paul's metaphors, classic theories of atonement, critics and defenders of these theories, and how atonement relates to other key themes (reconciliation, redemption, purity).

chapter 1 excerpt on holiness, payment, cleansing, aversion, and spiritualization

Examines sacrificial metaphors and images (including the Ransom Saying) in the Gospels, Paul, Hebrews, and briefly in First Peter and First John

Surveys Christian theories of atonement

Looks at the Incarnation as foundational, and at atonement as an attempt to communicate the Incarnation. Examines sacrificial and scapegoat metaphors in the Apostle Paul, "noble death," and saving faith.

Article in an SBL collection edited by Christian A. Eberhart.

Looks at self-interested motives for sacrifice (in Psalms); S. Rado on self-punishment to reconcile with parents; at the prophetic critique of sacrifice; and at Jesus' own views

One of the functions of Hebrew sacrifice was payment. This ties in with sacrifice and atonement having a fundamentally manipulative purpose. Pro-sacrificial and anti-sacrificial positions are examined.

Let us start by the tacit assumption that atonement means providing some kind of gift or apology to repair a damaged relationship. We might then ask what is it that such atonement achieves? There are two sides to this: (What are we saved from) -Alienation, from ourself, from others, world (nature) and God. -Death, sickness -Meaninglessness -Evil -Sin, as our relationship to death the enslaving power, doulos Rom. 7:10-11, 13. (What are we saved for) -Divine love, i.e. Pauline and Johannine theology -The reconfigured human-divine relationship, understood through various images i.e. parent, doctor (Mark. 2:15-17), Bridegroom/Bride, brooding chicken -Human transformation, deification or theosis. With so much common ground amongst Christians as to what Christ’s saving work achieves, and so much Christological consensus as to who Jesus is, one might be mistaken in wondering why defining how this work was achieved is such a cause for division.