Beyond the kaleidoscope: towards a synthesis of views on the atonement

Abstract

Although Christian orthodoxy has never required the adoption of one particular theory of atonement, Reformed and evangelical proponents of penal substitution (PSA) insist on its pivotal role. It is argued that the roots of this thinking lie in Enlightenment epistemology and Modern thought, corresponding to the advent of evangelicalism. PSA’s claims to be the controlling understanding are difficult to affirm on the biblical evidence and, problematically today, its paradigm of law, justice and punishment derives from pre- and early-modern eras. The ‘kaleidoscopic’ view offers a broader biblical perspective on the nature of both ‘the problem’ and ‘the solution’ and is more accessible to post-Modern thought forms. For the sake of evangelical mission, however, seeking after synthesis is encouraged, which might be explored through a renewed centre-point in ‘recapitulation/interchange’ or ‘covenant’ imagery.