Cross Purposes: The Violent Grammar of Christian AtonementThis seminal study of the Christian theory of the atonement examines the story of Christian violence. In Cross Purposes, Anthony Bartlett claims that the key Western doctrines of atonement have been dominated by a logic of violence and sacrifice as a means of salvation. Subsequently, the graphic suffering of the crucified in images and narrative has served to unleash a prolonged sacrificial crisis in which there is always a potential need to displace blame. These doctrines of atonement have sanctioned wide-spread violence in the name of Christ throughout history. But Bartlett argues that a minority tradition also exists. He contends that the tradition of the compassion of Christ provides the possible way out of Christian violence. Bartlett's study gives this tradition a dynamic new reading, showing how it undoes both divine and human violence and offers a powerfully transformative version of atonement for the contemporary world. Cross Purposes provides a rich historical and theological overview of the evolution of various atonement theories, using literature, art, and philosophy to provide a creative and provocative reading of Christian atonement. Anthony Bartlett is engaged in post-doctoral research and is an instructor in Religion at Syracuse University. For: Seminarians; clergy; graduate students; professors> |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The Abyss That Is Not Yet Love | 17 |
Imitatio Diaboli | 43 |
The Warrior Christ and His Pity | 95 |
Repetition Rhetoric and Compassion | 141 |
Hermeneutics of the Death of Jesus of Nazareth | 203 |
Jesus Time and Again | 221 |
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Common terms and phrases
absolute abyss abyssal compassion an-archic Anselm Anselm of Canterbury apocalyptic atonement Augustine becomes biblical century Christ's death Christian church continuity crisis cross Crucified Crusaders cultural Cur Deus Homo death of Christ deconstruction Derrida desire Devil disciples divine doctrine dynamic eschatological eternal event fact faith Father figure force forgiveness Freud Germanic gift Girard Girardian Gnosticism God's gospel Heliand hermeneutic honor Ibid idea imitation Irenaeus Jacques Derrida Jesus Jews kerygma Kierkegaard language lence logic London Lord Marcion meaning metaphysical mimesis mimetic anthropology movement murder N. T. Wright narrative Nietzsche once Oscar Wilde passion Patrologia Latina Paul penal substitution perhaps philosophical possibility precisely R. W. Southern radical reading redemption religion René Girard repetition response resurrection sacred sacrificial satisfaction seeks sense story structure suffering Tertullian Testament theology thought tion tradition trans transformation University Press victim warrior words wrath York