RT Article
T1 Abandoning Penal Substitution: A Patristic Inspiration for Contemporary Protestant Understanding of the Atonement
JF Religions
VO 12
IS 9
A1 Koryakin, Sergey
LA English
PB MDPI
YR 2021
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1772594768
AB In recent decades, there has been a resurgent interest among Protestant theologians in the so-called Christus Victor theory of the atonement. Firmly grounded in patristic thought (esp. Irenaeus of Lyons), this understanding of the work of Christ was first studied and formulated by a Swedish Lutheran, Gustaf Aulén, in 1931. Recent works by Darby Kathleen Ray, J. Denny Weaver, Thomas Finger, Gregory Boyd, and others develop Aulén’s endeavor and present new versions of the Christus Victor model. These scholars directly or indirectly demonstrate that the main framework of the patristic understanding of atonement was more faithful to Scripture and less problematic in terms of dogma and ethics than the traditional Protestant penal substitution theory. A short analysis of contemporary versions of the Christus Victor motif shows that this model of atonement proves to be more relevant in responding to the challenges of today’s world by providing substantial background for Christian spiritual life and ethics.
K1 Anselm
K1 Christus Victor
K1 Darby Kathleen Ray
K1 Gregory Boyd
K1 Gustaf Aulén
K1 Irenaeus
K1 J. Denny Weaver
K1 Thomas Finger
K1 Atonement
K1 Nonviolence
K1 Penal Substitution
K1 Retributive Justice
K1 Satisfaction
K1 the work of Christ
DO 10.3390/rel12090785