Read complete books and articles on: Doctrine of Atonement

Atonement - the reconciliation, or "at-one-ment," of sinful humanity with God. In Judaism both the Bible and rabbinical thought reflect the belief that God's chosen people must be pure to remain in communion with God. The Bible prescribed Temple sacrifice for the removal of sin and uncleanliness. The prophets taught that outward sacrifice must be accompanied by interior purification to be complete. With the destruction of the Temple and the consequent cessation of the sacrifice focus came to be placed on the religious life of the individual who sought to be reconciled with God through prayer, repentance, charity, and suffering. In the Jewish calendar, atonement for all but very serious sins came on the Day of Atonement (see Yom Kippur). In Christian theology, various doctrines of atonement have been advanced in history, all of which give central place to the life and death of Jesus. The classical theory of atonement, widely accepted in the early Church, depicted Jesus as the divine victor in a cosmic struggle with the devil for rights over the human soul. In medieval Latin theology emphasis shifted from the divine to the human side of Jesus. The most widely held theory at this time, often called vicarious atonement, was first stated by St. Anselm in Why God Became Human (1197–98): only human beings can rightfully repay the debt which was incurred through their willful disobedience to God, although only God can make the infinite satisfaction necessary to repay it; therefore God must send the God-man, Jesus Christ, to satisfy both these conditions. Anselm's doctrine, slightly altered or elaborated, has become part of Roman Catholic theology and of that of many Protestant churches. In another theory of atonement emphasis is placed on God's unconditional mercy and on the gradual growth toward union with God as inspired by Christ's selfless example. This theory was given its standard form by Peter Abelard in the 12th cent. Here the juridical concept is replaced by an organic and social concept. The tendency today in the Church is not to regard any single interpretation of atonement as all-embracing but to view Christ's atoning work from a variety of vantage points.

See G. Aulén, Christus Victor (tr. 1931); F. W. Dillistone, The Christian Understanding of Atonement (1968).

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15 of the Best Books and Articles on: Doctrine of Atonement

as selected by Questia librarians

1.

The Doctrine of the Atonement » Read Now
by Leonard Hodgson. 160 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

...THE DOCTRINE OF THE ATONEMENT THE HALE LECTURES, 1950 THE DOCTRINE OF THE ATONEMENT By LEONARD HODGSON, D.D. REGIUS PROFESSOR...activity in Christ. In the New Testament the...
2.

Responsibility and Atonement » Read Now
by Richard Swinburne. 213 pgs.

Collections: Philosophy, Entire Library

According to how we treat others, we acquire merit or guilt, deserve praise or blame, and receive reward or punishment, looking in the end for atonement. At times we need people to forgive and show us mercy. In this study distinguished theological philosopher Richard Swinburne examines how these...
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According to how we treat others, we acquire merit or guilt, deserve praise or blame, and receive reward or punishment, looking in the end for atonement. At times we need people to forgive and show us mercy. In this study distinguished theological philosopher Richard Swinburne examines how these moral concepts apply to humans in their dealings with each other, and applies these findings determining which versions of traditional Christian doctrines--sin and original sin, redemption, sanctification, and heaven and hell--are considered morally acceptable.
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3.

St. Anselm and His Critics: A Re-Interpretation of the Cur Deus Homo » Read Now
by John McIntyre. 214 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

...us the first systematic account of the Atonement. It is rather surprising that his commentators...this case to the Incarnation and the Atonement, by way of reasoning which...
4.

The Theology of the Oral Torah: Revealing the Justice of God (Chap. 12 "Repentance and Atonement") » Read Now
by Jacob Neusner. 702 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library
5.

The Character of God: Recovering the Lost Literary Power of American Protestantism ("The Atonement" begins on p. 25) » Read Now
by Thomas E. Jenkins. 280 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

Educated people have become bereft of sophisticated ways to develop their religious inclinations. A major reason for this is that theology has become vague and dull. In The Character of God, author Thomas E. Jenkins maintains that Protestant theology became boring by the late nineteenth century...
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Educated people have become bereft of sophisticated ways to develop their religious inclinations. A major reason for this is that theology has become vague and dull. In The Character of God, author Thomas E. Jenkins maintains that Protestant theology became boring by the late nineteenth century because the depictions of God as a character in theology became boring. He shows how in the early nineteenth century, American Protestant theologians downplayed biblical depictions of God's emotional complexity and refashioned his character according to their own notions, stressing emotional singularity. These notions came from many sources, but the major influences were the neoclassical and sentimental literary styles of characterization dominant at the time. The serene benevolence of neoclassicism and the tender sympathy of sentimentalism may have made God appealing in the mid-1800s, but by the end of the century, these styles had lost much of their cultural power and increasingly came to seem flat and vague. Despite this, both liberal and conservative theologians clung to these characterizations of God throughout the twentieth century. Jenkins argues that a way out of this impasse can be found in romanticism, the literary style of characterization that supplanted neoclassicism and sentimentalism and dominated American literary culture throughout the twentieth century. Romanticism emphasized emotional complexity and resonated with biblical depictions of God. A few maverick religious writers-- such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, W. G. T. Shedd, and Horace Bushnell--did devise emotionally complex characterizations of God and in some cases drew directly from romanticism. But their strange and sometimes shocking depictions of God were largely forgotten in the twentieth century. s use "theological" as a pejorative term, implying that an argument is needlessly Jenkins urges a reassessment of their work and a greaterin understanding of the relationship between theology and literature. Recovering the lost literary power of American Protestantism, he claims, will make the character of God more compelling and help modern readers appreciate the peculiar power of the biblical characterization of God.
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6.

The Yom Kippur Anthology » Read Now
by Philip Goodman. 399 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

The spiritual grandeur of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, has always appealed strongly to Jews from its ancient beginnings through centuries in the Diaspora and into modern times. Few Jews absent themselves from the community of Israel on this day, from Kol Nidre until the final shofar blast ending the sunset to sunset fast.
7.

Atonement in Judaism and Christianity: toward a rapprochement., in Journal of Ecumenical Studies » Read Now
by John C. Lyden. 8 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

...Atonement in Judaism and Christianity: Toward a rapprochement...there has been very little comparison of their views of atonement. This may seem curious, given the central...
8.

"Father, Forgive Them", in First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life » Read Now
by Richard John Neuhaus. 11 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Philosophy, Entire Library

...contrived wondrously refined theories of the atonement; why it is that this One had to die...without end. And all the theories of atonement are but probings into mystery...
9.

Reason and the Christian Religion: Essays in Honour of Richard Swinburne (Part IV "Atonement") » Read Now
by Alan G. Padgett, Richard Swinburne. 364 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

Richard Swinburne is one of the most distinguished philosophers of religion of our day. In this volume, many notable British and American philosophers unite to honor him and to discuss various topics to which he has contributed significantly. These include general topics in the philosophy of...
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Richard Swinburne is one of the most distinguished philosophers of religion of our day. In this volume, many notable British and American philosophers unite to honor him and to discuss various topics to which he has contributed significantly. These include general topics in the philosophy of religion such as revelation, and faith and reason, and the specifically Christian doctrines of the Trinity, the Incarnation, and atonement. In the spirit of the movement which Swinburne spearheaded, the essays use analytic philosophical methods to examine doctrines in particular religious traditions, expanding upon traditional discussions of theism. As such, this volume represents a field-report on the interaction of philosophy and Christian thought in the English-speaking world. Swinburne has himself contributed an individual and personal Intellectual Autobiography.
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10.

The Essentials of Mysticism and Other Essays ("Mysticism And The Doctrine of Atonement" begins on p. 44) » Read Now
by Evelyn Underhill. 250 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

...Life," "Mysticism and the Doctrine of Atonement," and "The Place of Will, Intellect...MYSTICISM AND THE DOCTRINE OF ATONEMENT 44 THE MYSTIC AS CREATIVE...serve. MYSTICISM...
11.

The Word and the Christ: An Essay in Analytic Christology (Chap. 8 "The Implications of Universal Revelation and Atonement") » Read Now
by Richard Sturch. 292 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

This is the first book to offer a comprehensive summary of the criticisms of Christological orthodoxy, and as such is the first to provide a full defense of the orthodox position. Sturch presents a complete overview of the current objections and of the reasons that have led many theologians to...
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This is the first book to offer a comprehensive summary of the criticisms of Christological orthodoxy, and as such is the first to provide a full defense of the orthodox position. Sturch presents a complete overview of the current objections and of the reasons that have led many theologians to believe that traditional Christology needs drastic revision. He analyzes orthodox doctrine and the requirements of an accurate Christology and concludes that the objections raised are either unfounded or misdirected.
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12.

Religion and Human Nature (Chap. 9 "The Doctrine of Atonement") » Read Now
by Keith Ward. 336 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

Continuing Keith Ward's series on comparative religion, this book deals with religious views of human nature and destiny. The beliefs of six major traditions are presented: the view of Advaita Vedanta that there is one Supreme Self, unfolding into the illusion of individual existence; the Vaishnava...
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Continuing Keith Ward's series on comparative religion, this book deals with religious views of human nature and destiny. The beliefs of six major traditions are presented: the view of Advaita Vedanta that there is one Supreme Self, unfolding into the illusion of individual existence; the Vaishnava belief that there is an infinite number of souls, whose destiny is to be released from material embodiment; the Buddhist view that there is no eternal Self; the Abrahamic belief that persons are essentially embodied souls; and the materialistic position that persons are complex material organisms. Indian ideas of rebirth, karma, and liberation from samsara are critically analysed and compared with semitic belief in the intermediate state of Sheol, Purgatory or Paradise, the Final Judgement and the resurrection of the body. The impact of scientific theories of cosmic and biological evolution on religious beliefs is assessed, and a form of 'soft emergent materialism' is defended, with regard to the soul. In this context, a Christian doctrine of original sin and atonement is presented, stressing the idea of soterial, as opposed to forensic, justice. Finally, a Christian view of personal immortality and the 'end of all things' is developed in conversation with Jewish and Muslim beliefs about judgement and resurrection.
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13.

The Age of Atonement: The Influence of Evangelicalism on Social and Economic Thought, 1785-1865 » Read Now
by Boyd Hilton. 414 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

In this study of the British upper and middle classes during the first half of the 19th century, Boyd Hilton reveals that the people of this age were obsessed with catastrophe: wars, famines, pestilences, revolutions, floods, volcanoes, and the great commercial upheavals which periodically...
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In this study of the British upper and middle classes during the first half of the 19th century, Boyd Hilton reveals that the people of this age were obsessed with catastrophe: wars, famines, pestilences, revolutions, floods, volcanoes, and the great commercial upheavals which periodically threatened to topple the world's first capitalist system. The dominant evangelical sentiment of the day interpreted such sufferings as part of God's plan and, not wanting to interfere with the dispensations of providence, governments took a harsh, stand-on-your-own-feet attitude towards social underdogs, whether they were bankrupts or paupers. In this work, Hilton studies how the transformation of religious thought--including new ideas about the nature of God and the Atonement--affected the economics, philosophy, science, and politics of the period.
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14.

The Historical Christ and the Jesus of Faith: The Incarnational Narrative as History (Chap. 4 "Why the Events Matter: God's Atoning Work") » Read Now
by C. Stephen Evans. 386 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

The story of Jesus of Nazareth, as recounted in the New Testament, has always been understood by the church to be historically true. It is an account of the life, death, and resurrection of a real person, whose links with history are firmly signalled in the creeds of the early church, which affirm...
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The story of Jesus of Nazareth, as recounted in the New Testament, has always been understood by the church to be historically true. It is an account of the life, death, and resurrection of a real person, whose links with history are firmly signalled in the creeds of the early church, which affirm that Jesus 'suffered under Pontius Pilate'. Contemporary historical scholarship has, however, called into question the reliability of the church's version of this story, and thereby raised the question as to whether ordinary people can know its historical truth. This book argues that the historicity of the story still matters, and that its religious significance cannot be captured by the category of 'non-historical myth'. The commonly drawn distinction between the Christ of faith and Jesus of history cannot be maintained. The Christ who is the object of faith must be seen as historical; the Jesus who is reconstructed by historical scholarship is always shaped by commitments of faith. A reconsideration of the Enlightenment epistemologies that underlie much historical scholarship shows that historical knowledge of this story is still possible. Such knowledge can be inferential, based on historical evidence. A careful look at contemporary New Testament studies, and the philosophical and literary assumptions upon which it rests, shows that this scholarship should not undermine the confidence of lay people who believe that they can know that the church's story about Jesus is true.
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15.

Handbook of Rabbinic Theology: Language, System, Structure (Chap. Twelve "Israel and Adam, the Land and Eden, Sin and Atonement") » Read Now
by Jacob Neusner. 611 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library

From his extensive and intensive study of the rabbinic literature, Jacob Neusner shows how the rabbinic documents give expression to a very real, if implicit, theological system. While the rabbinic literature is often seen as a collection of miscellaneous responses to questions arising from study of...
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From his extensive and intensive study of the rabbinic literature, Jacob Neusner shows how the rabbinic documents give expression to a very real, if implicit, theological system. While the rabbinic literature is often seen as a collection of miscellaneous responses to questions arising from study of the Hebrew Bible and its application to contemporary life, Neusner sees a system behind and embodied in the various writings. He discusses the ways in which the divine thought, and the human thinking that sought faithfully to interpret it, actually came to expression and treats what he calls the grammar of the divine self-expression in order to help us see the theological structure that it implies. Then he shows how this implicit system is expressed in the rules for the life of the people that God has chosen as his own. Citing passages from almost all of the mishnaic tractates, Neusner shows how they fit into and give expression to the system.
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