Retrieving At-one-ment in the English Soteriological Tradition

Abstract

This article examines the use of the word atonement in biblical-theological discourse in the English language and early English translations of the Bible. It traces the word’s origin and development, and it uncovers its original signification and the meaning of the words from which it derives. It suggests that modern English-speaking theologians could benefit from a re-evaluation of this word given that it was first introduced in English translations of the Bible and subsequently used in Christian theological discourse for a specific purpose which is no longer operative. It suggests that a recovery of its original signification can be helpful to understanding how some medieval and early Renaissance English Christians interpreted that word, scriptural passages, and Christ’s salvific work.