I began this series on the atonement with a question about whether or not the crucifixion of Christ was God’s active will, or His permitted will. The Cathechism provides the answer from the Catholic perspective: CCC600 To God, all moments of time are present in their immediacy. When therefore he establishes his eternal plan of … Continue reading The Image of the Father and Penal Substitution Theology
Atonement
God Forsaken – Christ on the Cross
One of the most moving moments in the narrative of Christ’s passion is his cry from the cross to His Father, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34). The understanding of this passage is another area where Protestant and Catholic theology will in general diverge. Protestant Reformed minister RC … Continue reading God Forsaken – Christ on the Cross
God-Forsaken – Christ in the Garden
My favorite mystery of the rosary has always been The Agony in the Garden. It returns me to those Holy Thursday evenings of my youth. After the celebration of the Holy Thursday liturgy we would return to the church between the hours of nine and midnight to “watch one hour with me.” (Matthew 26:40, Mark … Continue reading God-Forsaken – Christ in the Garden
God-Forsaken – Christ at the Last Supper
One of the more prominent arguments used to support penal substitution atonement theology is the cry of Jesus from the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34). The view is that because God is punishing Jesus for our sins, and he “became” sin for us, God turns his back … Continue reading God-Forsaken – Christ at the Last Supper
Penal Substitution Theology and God’s Need
In my last post I began to identify the problems from a Catholic perspective with the Protestant concept of Christ’s passion as being one of “penal substitution” – the concept that on the cross Christ is being punished by God for our sins. I will continue with that over the next several posts. Consider some … Continue reading Penal Substitution Theology and God’s Need
An overview of Protestant Penal Substitution Theology
With the advent of Protestantism in the sixteenth century, the understanding of the atonement undergoes a significant change in thinking. This theology is generally referred to as “penal substitution.” As with the Catholic understanding, in this view Christ is our substitute. The foundational difference is in the way he is standing in our place. As … Continue reading An overview of Protestant Penal Substitution Theology
God’s Justice versus God’s Mercy
Is this six minute clip from Bishop Barron, he speaks to why the cross of Jesus was necessary. I will summarize and expand on some of his points in this post, but I will not do justice to what he says, so if you have a few minutes it’s well worth the time. https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/video/why-was-the-cross-necessary-faith-seeks-understanding/122/ Bishop … Continue reading God’s Justice versus God’s Mercy
The Atonement as Satisfaction
In the eleventh century St. Anselm, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury wrote “Cur Deus Homo,” which translated is “Why God Became Man.” In this work, he directly took on the idea that there was no true justice in the idea that God had to pay Satan a ransom to redeem His creation. His focus … Continue reading The Atonement as Satisfaction
The Atonement as Christus Victor
Another dominant view of the atonement from the early Church is Christus Victor. This view focuses on the victory Christ won on the cross over the powers that hold mankind in bondage – sin, death, and Satan. Adam and Eve by their disobedience placed humanity under this bondage. Unlike the ransom view of atonement which … Continue reading The Atonement as Christus Victor
The Atonement as Ransom
In my last post I referred to a common saying that “Jesus paid a debt he did not owe, because I owed a debt I could not pay.” Sacred Scripture does support the idea that Christ is paying a “debt” with his sacrifice as we read in Colossians 2:13-14 - “And you, who were dead … Continue reading The Atonement as Ransom
An Overview of the Atonement/God’s Active or Permitted Will?
Scripture tells us three times in the Garden of Gethsemane Christ prayed to the Father to allow the cup of his passion to pass from him; that he would not have to drink it. And all three times he also prayed that not his will, but the Father’s will be done. It becomes a model … Continue reading An Overview of the Atonement/God’s Active or Permitted Will?
