Love reminds us that it is not so much the differing doctrinal understandings on this point that divide but rather the loss of this central Christian assertion which ails the contemporary church.
Love, who teaches theology at San Francisco Theological Seminary and who has recently been named winner of the 2011 Angell Award by the Presbyterian Writers Guild for the best first book published the previous calendar year, expertly navigates the landscape of the currently reigning atonement theories in the North American context. As he investigates “the relationship between divine love and violence in regard to the saving significance (or lack of it) of the cross of Christ,” (ix) he straddles the fence between an outdated penal substitutionary understanding of the atonement on the one hand, and a “love-conquers-all” approach in light of the resurrection on the other. His goal: to retain the cross as the central event of the Christian faith while clinging to a nonviolent God by introducing five alternative atonement models — emancipation, hospitality, divine justice, reorientation, and restoration. The glossary of terms at the end is an added bonus.
As pastor responsible for faith formation, I tend to read these days with the question in mind, “How can this book benefit the deepening of the life of faith for our members?” On this question, Love’s book does not disappoint. Not only does he give a good overview of two dominating atonement theories but by introducing five new models into the discussion he both broadens our view and challenges us to expand our horizon. He does this by letting his theological imagination wander between movies, novels and current events, stuff that occupies the minds of folks like me on a daily basis. In a world where violence and torture have become ubiquitous through Internet and social media, Love’s insistence on our salvation and redemption through a loving, nonviolent God.
Out of Love’s five models, expanding our notions of hospitality might be a fruitful endeavor to hold the violence of the cross and a nonviolent God in creative tension, especially in light of the displacement of people through violence in homes, wars and natural disasters. In voluntarily laying down one’s life, violence is transformed and human beings can flourish once again. Sound familiar?
Put into liturgical context, I highly recommend Love’s book for group study in local congregations as we just journeyed through Lent, Holy Week, and celebrated Christ’s resurrection on Easter morning. Who knows, perhaps Love’s five models might give us a framework for putting our own resurrection experience into words for the very first time.
DIETER U. HEINZL is is associate pastor for faith formation at Ladue Chapel Church in St. Louis.
