I talked with Roger on Good Friday, so thought what a day to ask about the cross. Given that his push toward his research was the encountering of the cross (video #1) at the very practical level of addressing the issue of corporate sin that had been expressed through the action of western colonialism… OK what I am saying is what a great few minutes this video is.
2 thoughts on “The cross”
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This is so interesting thank you Roger and Martin. Penal substitutionary atonement is so widely taught in all the Protestant denominations I have ever encountered and the Catholic Church I think and is so widely accepted as what the cross was about. I think it’s because it is easier to understand’Jesus took on himself the punishment for my sins so God could forgive me’. I am shocked at my own acceptance of that for so long it’s only relatively recently that I have come to understand through theologians like you Martin that that is probably not what happened. I did as a child through reading C.S. Lewis Narnia books suspect that this might not be the case. Certainly when we talk of splitting the Godhead it seems bizarre and I can’t believe I never thought of that!. I like Brad Jersak definition of it being co-suffering, radically forgiving, self giving love but for me I guess it would include both individual and corporate/national sin just all wrongdoing and the rescue from death to life as in Adam all people die and in Christ all are made alive. There seems more of an element of mystery when penal substitution is rejected. I think churches find it problematic to rethink it as it means a really different teaching and approach. For instance the Alpha course which though brilliant would definitely subscribe to penal substitution so huge paradigm shift needed to alter the general view.
These conversations with Roger are seriously good. Re-read a bit of Fall of the Church over the Easter weekend. Chuffed to have then found you’d posted these chats. A provocative reminder of where, historically, we find ourselves and what can be done about it. Big thanks to both of you.