The Nonviolent AtonementThis challenging work explores the history of the Christian doctrine of atonement, exposing the intrinsically violent dimensions of the traditional, Anselmian satisfaction atonement view and offering instead a new, thoroughly nonviolent paradigm for understanding atonement based on narrative Christus Victor. The book develops a two-part argument. J. Denny Weaver first develops narrative Christus Victor as a comprehensive, nonviolent atonement motif. The other side of the discussion exposes the assumptions and the accommodation of violence in traditional atonement motifs. The first chapter lays out narrative Christus Victor as nonviolent atonement that reflects the entire biblical story, though paying particular attention to Revelation, the Gospels, and Paul. This biblical discussion also touches on the Old Testament story, Hebrew sacrifices, and the book of Hebrews. Following chapters place narrative Christus Victor in conversation with defenders of Anselm and with representatives of black, feminist, and womanist theologies. These discussions expose an accumulation of dimensions of violence in the several forms of satisfaction atonement. A final substantive chapter analyzes the inadequacy of all attempts to defend Anselm against the recent challenges raised by feminist and womanist perspectives. This analysis lays bare the violent dimensions of satisfaction atonement, which can be camouflaged but not removed. In light of this discussion, Weaver argues that the view of satisfaction atonement must be abandoned and replaced with narrative Christus Victor as the only thoroughly biblical and thoroughly nonviolent alternative. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Narrative Christus Victor The Revisioning of Atonement | 12 |
Images of Atonement | 14 |
Narrative Christus Victor | 19 |
Summary | 69 |
Narrative Christus Victor Some Comparisons and Its Demise | 70 |
The Demise of Christus Victor | 81 |
Christology | 92 |
Feminist Theology on Atonement | 123 |
Conclusion | 156 |
Womanist Theology on Atonement | 157 |
Womanist Particularity | 158 |
Womanists on Atonement | 164 |
Womanists on Theodicy | 168 |
Womanists on Christology | 170 |
Narrative Christus Victor and Womanist Theology | 173 |
Conclusion | 96 |
Black Theology on Atonement | 99 |
James Heil Cone | 100 |
James H Cone and Narrative Christus Victor | 110 |
Second Generation Black Theology | 113 |
Conclusion | 120 |
Feminist Theology on Atonement | 122 |
Conversation with Anselm and His Defenders | 179 |
The Defenders of Anselm | 180 |
Responding to the Defenses of Satisfaction | 195 |
Conclusion | 225 |
229 | |
239 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
African-American Anselmian atonement images atonement motif atonement theology Baker-Fletcher Beker biblical black theology Brock Brown and Parker challenge Chapter Christian Christology classic Cone Cone's confrontation context critique Cur Deus Homo death of Jesus debt Delores depicted developed devil dimensions divine child abuse ecclesiology empire erotic power ethics Father Feminist Christology feminists and womanists Gospels Gustaf Aulén Hebrews Henry McNeal Turner Heyward Hopkins human imagery James Cone John Howard Yoder Journeys by Heart justice killed Jesus liberation Maryknoll means ment mission moral influence theory narrative Christus Victor needs the death nonviolent oppression Orbis Books Paul the Apostle Placher poses powers of evil punishment reign rejection René Girard resurrection of Jesus Revelation Ruether rule sacrifice Saint Anselm salvation Satan satisfaction atonement Schwager sinful humankind sinners social order suffering sword symbolic tion traditional atonement understanding victims violence visible Volf Williams womanist Womanist Perspectives womanist theology Xodus Yoder