Achieving Atonement

Abstract

Derek Thompson sets out to describe how Christian atonement works and the place of Christ’s violent death on the cross. The author says that any model of the atonement must satisfy the following criteria. 1. Enhance the preaching of the gospel. 2. Accord with the full range of biblical teaching. 3. Be consistent with the good, gracious, holy and merciful nature of God. 4. Encourage Christlike behaviour in Christians. 5. Be coherent, reasonable, and ethical. 6. Support ecumenism and retain the truths found in the churches’ historical atonement teaching. Traditional atonement theories fall short at one or more points on this list and fail to engage successfully with the full range of issues, such as: a) Human responsibility for sin. b) Forgiveness and reconciliation. c) Justice and punishment. d) Sacrifice and atonement. e) Righteousness. f) Goodness, mercy and holiness. g) Evil in nature. These two lists define the integrity and comprehensiveness of an atonement theory. The author sets a high standard for his new model of the atonement but proceeds to use some unorthodox methods to derive a model he calls Lumen Christi. The author employs the tools of critical reasoning and draws on a wide range of theological works in an innovative approach to the problem. The model proposed is multifaceted, but unlike others that attempt to combine the traditional theories, Lumen Christi takes a completely different route.