Books treating the doctrine of the Atonement?

[whosebob]

JMJ + OBT​

I would appreciate suggestions from my fellow forums members as to books (in-print or out-of-print), articles, essay, online resources, etc. that explore the “doctrine of the Atonement.”

There are some wonderful articles in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia [newadvent.org] which explore the matter – e.g. look under “sin,” “reparation,” “sacrifice,” “grace,” “atonement,” “redemption,” “ascetical theology,” “asceticism,” and more …

There is a nice page in the Wikipedia which provides links to fine explanations in the Calvinist and Arminian traditions.

And it doesn’t take too much effort using Google to find web pages which treat this subject from an Eastern Orthodox perspective – e.g. River of Fire and The Blood Sacrifice and Forgiveness (and linked articles in the latter).

But I want to go deeper. I would like to find a “grand treatment” of the subject the makes detailed comparisons and contrasts among all of the various schools of thought (Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox), also linking them to the “bigger picture” of how the economy of salvation operates according to those theological schools. Perhaps such a work has not yet been written.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

In the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

IC XC NIKA

 

[Nicholas_II]

Hi

I had the same problem as you trying to find more information on this.

I found a book once called The Atonement, A Catholic Restatement by Ernest A Dawson, Vicar of Holy Redeemer Clenkenwell. Who might actually be Anglican.

It was first published in 1933 in England.

In the end I realised that where as Protestants can write whole books on Christs momentary “it is finished” atonment on the cross, Catholics are more inclined to write about the big picture.

Importantly, the Church has not taught definitively about the atonement, considering it a mystery. Except to say that Christ was not reprobated by God on the cross which is clearly stated in the CCC.

I think the web is your best chance. New Advent etc…The response to your thread seems to back this up and only restates what I expected would be the case.



regards
Nicholas II

 

[whosebob]

Nicholas II:

I had the same problem as you trying to find more information on this.

I found a book once called The Atonement, A Catholic Restatement by Ernest A Dawson, Vicar of Holy Redeemer Clenkenwell. Who might actually be Anglican. It was first published in 1933 in England.

JMJ + OBT​

Thanks for the tip. I’ve also found references to another book, Catholic Doctrine of the Atonement, written by an Englishman with the last Oxenham, published in 1865. That work, in fact, is quoted in the 1913 Cath. Encyc. article, “The Doctrine of the Atonement.”

In the end I realised that where as Protestants can write whole books on Christs momentary “it is finished” atonment on the cross, Catholics are more inclined to write about the big picture.

That statement seems true to me as well, with regards to the “classic” Protestant teachings on the Atonement. However, there are some newer Protestant-authored books, published by InterVarsity for example, that apparently attempt an explanation of the Redemption in a “big picture” fashion. Do a search on Amazon.com for “intervarsity atonement” (no quotes).

Importantly, the Church has not taught definitively about the atonement, considering it a mystery. Except to say that Christ was not reprobated by God on the cross which is clearly stated in the CCC.

An excellent point. Thanks! Could you provide the relevant paragraph number(s) in the CCC? I don’t remember coming across such a statement when I recently used the index to find paragraphs related to “atonement” and “expiation” (though your assertion does ring a bell from when I read the whole thing two years ago).

I think the web is your best chance. New Advent etc…The response to your thread seems to back this up …

Maybe someone needs to write a “big book” on this subject. Particularly, I would like to see a thorough comparison and contrast of the Catholic and Orthodox understandings, as they are commonly formulated now and across the centuries. I also believe a strong synthesis of the same would be in order to facilitate a future large-scale reconciliation between Eastern and Western Christianity. The present treatment in the CCC is great, but in some ways begs the question concerning the differences between the East and West on this doctrine.

In Christ.

IC XC NIKA

 

[Vi_Type]

Hey there,

If you would like a scholarly work that compares all schools of thought on the Atonement then you should get a book titled The Cross and Salvation by Bruce Demarest.

If you want, what I believe to be the finest treatment of the doctrine of atonement you should read Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray. It is a great short read, and will outline everything in a maner that is understandable to all types of readers.

 

[whosebob]

Vi Type:

If you would like a scholarly work that compares all schools of thought on the Atonement then you should get a book titled The Cross and Salvation by Bruce Demarest.

If you want, what I believe to be the finest treatment of the doctrine of atonement you should read Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray. It is a great short read, and will outline everything in a maner that is understandable to all types of readers.

JMJ + OBT​

Thanks, Vi Type! Does the “vi” in your name refer to the Vi text editor commonly found and used in UNIX and Linux computer systems? If so, do you prefer Vim over Vi? I prefer Vim, myself over vi, emacs, pico – it’s clearly superior …

Anyway, it’s always nice to have another friendly and informed Reformed Christian join in the discussions on this board. Welcome!

The two books you suggested look interesting, and would make for valuable reads in my attempt to understand especially various Protestant perspectives of the doctrine of the Atonement; and the first one looks like it would be quite useful too in gaining an understanding of how a Reformed (or “moderately reformed”) theologian perceives and understands the pre-Reformation schools of thought on the subject.

It seems quite certain, though, that both authors are writing to and from a Reformed perspective. And I don’t think that bodes well for getting a nitty-gritty exploration of Catholic and Orthodox thought on this doctrine and it’s relation to the economy of salvation as understood in the respective schools’ sacramental theology, with particular reference to the Eucharistic sacrifice.

I am curious to know if and to what degree either author explores the connections of the modern and historical Reformed teachings on the Atonement to the Reformed understanding of the role of Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, personal suffering, etc. in an individual’s justification and final salvation.

Again, welcome!

In Christ.

IC XC NIKA

 

[whosebob]

Vi Type:

If you would like a scholarly work that compares all schools of thought on the Atonement …

JMJ + OBT​

I thought you might find useful direct links to three articles in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia, which would make for a nice start in a exploration of the Catholic perspective on this matter:

Doctrine of the Atonement

Redemption

Supernatural Adoption

The following section of the universal Catechism of the Catholic Church is also really good (the whole thing is great, but this section is especially relevant):

“Jesus Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried”

And I found the quote from the CCC that Nicholas II had in mind:

603 Jesus did not experience reprobation as if he himself had sinned.(405) But in the redeeming love that always united him to the Father, he assumed us in the state of our waywardness of sin, to the point that he could say in our name from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”(406) Having thus established him in solidarity with us sinners, God “did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all”, so that we might be “reconciled to God by the death of his Son”.(407)

405 Cf. Jn 8:46.
406 Mk 15:34; Ps 22:2; cf. Jn 8:29.
407 Rom 8:32; 5:10.

[emphasis mine]

Finally, I noticed that in the customer reviews on Amazon.com of the books you suggested, the phrase “ordo salutis” turns up a number of times. You might enjoy the following blog entry by Christian apologist Jimmy Akin:

The Ordo Salutis

Enjoy!

In the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

IC XC NIKA

 

[Vi_Type]

Whosebob,

As you have quickly discovered I am from the Reformed tradition. And the second book I suggested for you to read has been said to be the best treatment of Atonement coming from the Reformed tradition. He applies the atonement to the whole of our Christian walk, and to every aspect of our salvation.

The book titled “The Cross and Salvation”, I believe fairly represents the Catholic position as from the time of Trent. As well as the Reformed tradition. The book is a fair summary of a number of positions, but I feel Dr. Demarest did a poor job of arguing for his particular positions. I do not necessarily disagree with him on all fronts, but he is a broad Evangelical where as I am much more Reformed.

They are really good books especially the one by John Murray, so if you want to do a good study on the subject it is a must read.

Now I am going to make a new thread asking for advice on what Catholic books are out there on the subject of Justification. So I welcome your suggestions.

In Christ,
Yuriy