Approaching the Atonement: The Reconciling Work of Christ

In many ways, the death of Jesus Christ on the cross stands at the heart of the Christian faith. But how should we understand the theological significance of Christ's death? How has the church interpreted that event in developing a doctrine of atonement? Should we limit our doctrine of the atonement to the cross, or is Christ's work more expansive than that? Theologian Oliver Crisp explores such questions around the meaning of the cross and the various ways that the death of Jesus has been interpreted in the church's history--from ransom theory in the early church to penal substitutionary theory to more recent feminist critiques. What emerges from this study is a more complex, expansive, and fruitful understanding of the atonement and its significance for the Christian faith today.