Crime, Guilt, and the Punishment of Christ: Traveling Another Way with Anselm of Canterbury and Richard Hooker

Neelands, David, Anglican Theological Review

Western Christian theology inherited the theory that human beings possess at birth a guilt for a crime committed by their first parents. This theory invites the notion that Christ's suffering and death involved an inevitable punishment for human sins. Without criticizing the theory derived from Augustine, Anselm of Canterbury provided an important alternative, substituting the notions of debt, obligation, and satisfaction for crime, guilt, and punishment. Anselm thereby anticipated the modern distinction between civil and criminal law. Duns Scotus recognized the significance of Anselm's novelty, but later theology lost the insight. John Calvin, distorting Anselm, reinforced the older …

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Publication information: Article title: Crime, Guilt, and the Punishment of Christ: Traveling Another Way with Anselm of Canterbury and Richard Hooker. Contributors: Neelands, David - Author. Journal title: Anglican Theological Review. Volume: 88. Issue: 2 Publication date: Spring 2006. Page number: 197+. © Anglican Theological Review, Inc. Winter 2009. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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