Derek Flood has written an interesting and compelling article about how the understanding of the Cross has changed from "Christus Victor" to "Vicarious Atonement" over the centuries.
Vicarious Atonement is the idea that Jesus' death on the cross was required by God as payment as a blood sacrifice for the sins of the world. This view of God as a blood-thirsty judge who can only be satisfied by a perfect blood sacrifice is a strong contrast to the understanding I have of God as being the essence of Love. This idea was developed around 1000 CE as an alternative to Christus Victor.
Christus Victor is the idea that Jesus showed us how to live lives based on love, and that lives so lived would be able to overcome evil in the world, even beyond death. Christus Victor was seen as too emotional and not rational enough, so the more rational, less emotional legalism of Vicarious Atonement was developed as an explanation for how Jesus' death worked to reconcile us with God, by "paying our fine" so to speak.
It really is a wonderful write up. My thanks to Fred Anderson at Ecunet for the link.
Posted by JoKeR at May 04, 2003 02:09 AM | TrackBackBloodthirsty judge?
The atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross is absolutely the work of a merciful God!
He doesn't HAVE to pardon anyone, it would be perfectly just of Him to let us all be condemned by our sin. Instead, He has provided a way (and a very easy way, not a way of working ourselves to perfection, but simply of receiving Him in faith) for our atonement, that we can be cleansed and rendered acceptable in His perfect sight.
Please don't corrupt scripture to make it tell a more palatable story than the story it actually tells.
Posted by: John Corry on November 12, 2003 09:01 PMHey thanks for that link! I read part of the article and I'm enjoying it tremendously so far. Right on, right on.
Posted by: kStyle on February 24, 2004 05:03 PMPS John, please don't impose your reading of Scripture on the rest of us. :)
Posted by: kStyle on February 24, 2004 08:48 PMI have printed out all of Derek Flood's fine article. He articulates what more and more of us Mennonites believe is a helpful way of responding to the mystery of the cross. The writing and careful use of Scripture are wonderful. But who is Derek Flood? Tell me more please All I get when I google him is an animator. Can it really be the same person?
Posted by: Victor Stoltzfus on March 11, 2004 09:12 PMI followed the link to Derek's article again, then chopped off all but the main web page address (no subdirectories, file specifications, etc.) and it does, indeed, appear to be the same Derek Flood who is an animator. If you look at the parent directory of the link I included above (http://www.sharktacos.com/God/) you will find other articles which appear to be similarly challenging and engaging. I hope to find some time to read them as well.
Posted by: JoKeR on March 12, 2004 11:43 PMJohn,
The fact that you believe that the actually following of Christ is "easy", demonstrates how little you appreciate what grace and faith really mean, and how little you delve into the mysteries and complexities of life.