Description
The atonement is at the heart of Christian doctrine. But how does it relate to the life of the church? And what difference does it make for worship and liturgy?
In this book, theologian Oliver Crisp sets out a new, comprehensive account of the nature of the atonement, exploring how the atonement relates to our participation in the life of God and in the shared life of the Christian community. The book is divided into three sections. In the first, Crisp tackles methodological issues that impinge upon the doctrine of atonement, such as the necessity and value of atonement, the use of models in articulating doctrine, and the place of divine retribution. In the second section, he discusses some major historic accounts of the atonement, including moral exemplarism, the ransom account, satisfaction, and penal substitution. Each view is subjected to sympathetic scrutiny and found to be wanting in some respect. In the third second, he sets out a constructive doctrine of atonement. Beginning with the doctrine of sin, he considers the nature of atonement in relation to the incarnation, cross, resurrection, ascension, and intercession of Christ--as well as in relation to the life of the church and the celebration of the Eucharist. Crisp then concludes with a dogmatic summary of the major themes of the book as a whole.
Participation and Atonement speaks into a resurgence of evangelical interest in the doctrine of the atonement, offering a constructive, analytic theology from within the Reformed tradition that is ecumenical in spirit.