Atonement theories (PhD edit)

My Mom sent me these photos supposedly from Quebec City.

This is an edit from my PhD with the present revisions. Much of this material was presented in the past when most of you were not readers. I do not at all apologize for posting older blog material.:) I do not want to have to 'reinvent the wheel' so to speak and will reuse older material in the main body and especially in comments.

I suggest that you all do the same to save time. I will be swamped with PhD revisions for a time. Older material does get revised though at times, just like with my theses.

Please comment and enjoy the footnotes which I have not used on this blog in years, but this is a paste from the PhD. I would view sacrifice as a definite aspect of the atoning work of Christ, as I would propitiation, substitution and reconciliation. It is a complex subject, no doubt.

Russ

As Millard J. Erickson points out, atonement theory is multifaceted including the concepts of sacrifice, propitiation (appeasement of God), substitution and reconciliation.[1] Bloesch writes that the atonement of Christ must be understood as God’s effort to reconcile divine holiness and compassion.[2] Love does not end the need for holiness, but through Christ answers it.[3] Within Christian thought, both traditional and modern, there are many different atonement theories concerning the work of Christ.[4] Atonement theory in regard to Christ would be another thesis in itself and is beyond the scope of this work. Augustine’s sacrificial atonement views are not central to this thesis, but Augustine describes Christ’s atoning work as a means by which Christ could bring humanity back to a right relationship with God.[5] Augustine (398-399)(1992) discusses the concept of Christ restoring people from the hands of the adversary.[6] He also notes Christ is the true mediator between sinful humanity and God, and this mediation is what brings people to righteousness.[7] Augustine (400-416)(1987)(2004) continues with this theme calling Christ the mediator of life as Christ is viewed taking the punishment for sin in the place of sinful humanity.[8] Further along in the text, Augustine notes Christ died in order that through his death believers could ultimately be saved from everlasting death through the resurrection.[9] Robert D. Crouse (1990)(1998) explains Augustine viewed Christ’s atoning work as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity.[10]

There are Biblical scholars and theologians who would not hold to a sacrifice atonement theory, as does Augustine. There are the Accident, Martyr and Moral Influence Theories which feature similar approaches that are popular among modern scholars.[11] Thiessen notes the modern Accident Theory sees no significant value in the death of Christ.[12] Christ was a good man who died because his religious views differed from the religious leaders of the day, but there was no further significance to his death.[13] The Accident Theory would be a possible explanation for those within the mainline Christian faith that view Christ’s teaching as that of a good man, but question whether Christ died for the sins of humanity. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod belief and practices volume writers Erwin L. Lueker, Luther Poellot, and Paul Jackson (2000) note the Accident Theory would view Christ’s death as unforeseen, unexpected and unfortunate.[14] This understanding is held by many modern scholars.[15] In other words, many versions of the Accident Theory do not attach a divine plan to Christ’s death.

The modern Martyr Theory is a similar view to the Accident Theory in that through Christ’s example and peaceful opposition to the religious leaders of his day, people could see there was a need for religious reform within religious organizations.[16] This concept would also view human beings as needing to be reformed spiritually, and Christ provided an excellent example of this in his death.[17] This approach would not require Christ to be a sacrifice for sins, but instead be an example of a human being who has become religiously reformed.[18] Lueker, Poellot and Jackson explain a key for the Martyr Theory is that Christ died for a principle of religious truth,[19] the idea being for those who hold this theory was God used Christ to oppose the religious falsehoods that prevented human beings from having true religious experiences with God.

Peter Abelard (1079-1142)[20] is credited with developing the historic Moral Influence Theory.[21] Abelard (1121)(2006) describes his atonement view in Commentaria in Epistolam Pauli ad Romanos, which in English is Commentary on the Epistle of Paul to the Romans.[22] Within it he writes, contrary to Anselm’s Satisfaction Theory, God had forgiven sins through love before Christ came to earth and that Christ had taken the suffering for human sin upon himself.[23] Grenz, Guretzki and Nordling note the Moral Influence Theory views Christ’s death as a good example of love in action.[24] F.W. Robertson (1857)(1956) explains this theory understood God was not angry with his Son, but instead Christ bore the sins of humanity as he clashed with evil and died because of it.[25] As Christ took on evil and prevailed over it by remaining true to God, he was able to influence people through the establishment of Christianity. The Satisfaction Theory of Saint Anselm (ca. 1033-1109) deduces Christ was an atoning sacrifice for the sins of humanity, and this theory is not in drastic opposition to Augustine’s prior theory. Anselm (1094-1098)(1968)(2006) states within Cur Deus Homo, which in English is Why God Became Man, it was fitting as death entered into the human race by one man’s disobedience, life should enter by one man’s obedience.[26] For Anselm, Christ was providing satisfaction to God for sin, but was also the perfect sacrifice for sin, much as Augustine had proposed earlier.[27] Bloesch writes Christ’s righteousness is substituted for human sin in order that believers can be righteous before God.[28]

Origen (ca. 185-254),[29] presents the Ransom View of Atonement. In his Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Origen (ca 203-250)(2001) explains the atoning work of Christ was a ransom price as Christ gave up his life in order that human beings could have their lives back.[30] The primary modern exponent, that recovered the patristic emphasis of this view is Gustav Aulen, who wrote Christus Victor and the journal article ‘Chaos and Cosmos: The Drama of Atonement’ both in 1950. In Christus Victor, he explains the central theme of atonement is Christ’s dramatic victory over Satan, sin, and death.[31] Through the incarnated Christ’s death and resurrection, Aulen notes in this drama that Christ reconciles the world to himself.[32] In ‘Chaos and Cosmos’ Aulen writes every Christian doctrine of atonement should include the concept that the love of God through Christ destroys the evil powers.[33] The atonement should be primarily viewed as the means by which God provided humanity with victory over evil and reconciliation with God.[34] Aulen, like Anselm, did view Christ’s atoning work as sacrifice, but Aulen points out it was done willingly by Christ who suffered and then overcame evil.[35] The Ransom Theory of Atonement places less importance on God’s need for justice and sacrifice, and more of an emphasis on God freeing humanity from the bonds of Satan, sin, and death. Instead of atonement being mainly about a sacrifice offered to God for sin from humankind in Christ, Gustaf Wingren states Aulen’s view is primarily concerned with God overcoming evil for his people.[36] Bloesch reasons that Christ has purchased and redeemed his followers through the atoning work. From this task God’s love for humanity is shown as persons cannot save themselves through merit.[37]

[1] Erickson (1994: 811-823).
[2] Bloesch (1987: 97).
[3] Bloesch (1987: 97).
[4] Thiessen (1956: 315-320).
[5] Augustine (398-399)(1992: 178).
[6] Augustine (398-399)(1992: 178).
[7] Augustine (398-399)(1992: 219).
[8] Augustine (400-416)(1987)(2004: Book 4: Chapter 13: 10).
[9] Augustine (400-416)(1987)(2004: Book 4: Chapter 13: 11).
[10] Crouse (1990)(1998: 6).
[11] Thiessen (1956: 315).
[12] Thiessen (1956: 315).
[13] Thiessen (1956: 315).
[14] Lueker, Poellot, and Jackson (2000: 4).
[15] Lueker, Poellot, and Jackson (2000: 4).
[16] Thiessen (1956: 316).
[17] Thiessen (1956: 316).
[18] Thiessen (1956: 316).
[19] Lueker, Poellot, and Jackson (2000: 4).
[20] Shelly (1982: 215).
[21] Linder (1996: 2).
[22] Abelard (1121)(2006: 13).
[23] Abelard (1121)(2006: 13).
[24] Grenz, Guretzki, and Nordling (1999: 17).
[25] Robertson in Thiessen (1857)(1956: 174).
[26] Anselm (1094-1098)(1968)(2006: 51).
[27] Anselm (1094-1098)(1968)(2006: 51).
[28] Bloesch (1987: 150).
[29] Kroeger (1996: 803).
[30] Origen (ca 203-250)(2001: 30).
[31] Aulen (1950a: 14).
[32] Aulen (1950a: 5).
[33] Aulen (1950b: 156).
[34] Aulen (1950b: 158).
[35] Aulen (1950b: 162).
[36] Wingren (1965: 310).
[37] Bloesch (1987: 151).

ABELARD, PETER (ca. 1121)(2006) Jeffery E. Brower, and Kevin Guilfoy (eds.), Commentaria in Epistolam Pauli ad Romanos, Commentary on the Epistle of Paul, A complete list of Abelard’s Writings, West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue University.
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~brower/Papers/Introduction%20to%20Cam%20Comp.pdf

ANSELM, SAINT (1094-1098)(1968)(2006) Cur Deus Homo, Why God Became Man, in Schmitt, Franciscus Salesius, S. Anselmi Cantuariensis Archiepiscopi Opera Omnia. Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt: Friedrich Fromann Verlag.
http://www.iep.utm.edu/a/anselm.htm#H7

AUGUSTINE (398-399)(1992) Confessions, Translated by Henry Chadwick, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

AUGUSTINE (400-416)(1987)(2004) On the Trinity, Translated by Reverend Arthur West Haddan, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series One, Volume 3, Denver, The Catholic Encyclopedia.
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/130104.htm

AULEN, GUSTAV (1950a) Christus Victor, Translated by A.G. Hebert, London, S.P.C.K.

AULEN, GUSTAV (1950b) ‘Chaos and Cosmos: The Drama of Atonement’, in Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology, Volume 4, April, Number 2, New York, Interpretation.

BLOESCH, DONALD G. (1987) Freedom for Obedience, San Francisco, Harper and Rowe Publishers.

CROUSE, ROBERT D. (1990)(1998) ‘Atonement and Sacrifice: Doctrine and Worship-Saint Augustine and the Fathers’, in The Idea of the Church in Historical Development, Charlottetown P.E.I., Saint Peter Publications.

ERICKSON, MILLARD (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

GRENZ, STANLEY J. AND ROGER E. OLSON (1992) Twentieth Century Theology, Downer’s Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press.

KROEGER, C.C. (1996) ‘Origen’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, p. 803. Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

LINDER, R.D. (1996) ‘Abelard, Peter’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, p. 2. Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

LUECKER, ERWIN L, LUTHER POELLOT, AND PAUL JACKSON, (2000) The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod: Christian Cyclopedia, Saint Louis, The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
http://www.lcms.org/ca/www/cyclopedia/02/display.asp?t1=A&t2=t

ORIGEN (ca. 203-250)(2001) Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew,
Peter Kirby, California, Early Christian Writings.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/origen-matthew.html

ROBERTSON, F.W. (1887)(1956) ‘Sermons: First Series’, in Thiessen, Henry C., Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

SHELLEY, BRUCE L. (1982) Church History In Plain Language, Waco, Texas, Word Books.

THIESSEN, HENRY C. (1956) Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

WINGREN, GUSTAF (1965) ‘Gustaf Aulen’, in A Handbook of Christian Theologians, Nashville, Abingdon Press.