The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Satisfaction View of the Atonement

Help me with this one. "In Christian theology, the satisfaction view of the atonement is the dominant theory of the meaning of the death of Jesus Christ taught in Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed circles since the Middle Ages." http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Atonement_satisfaction_view

The Protestant reformers shifted the focus of this satisfaction theory to concentrate not merely on divine offense but on divine justice. God's righteousness demands punishment for human sin. God in his grace both exacts punishment and supplies the one to bear it.

This is an important difference. For Anselm, Christ obeyed where we should have obeyed; for John Calvin, he was punished where we should have been punished.
http://www.theopedia.com/Satisfaction_theory_of_the_atonement

Lynda,

I'm not quite sure what your question is. Care to state your question another way?

I'm not extremely educated, and I never heard of "the satisfaction view of the atonement" until today. A relative keeps throwing his church's views at me. He told me that the view we hold of the atonement did not exist until the twelfth century with the teachings of Thomas Aquinas. I, of course, disagreed. So I thought I'd like to hear what people here have to say about this.

Lynda,

Hmmmmmm, what church does your relative belong to?

There is more than ample resources HERE that deals with the atonement. The Reformers and Puritans all held to the "Penal Substitutionary" view, also known as a vicarious substitutionary atonement. IF you can't find anything which helps you answer your question, do ask further.

Perhaps, The Wrath of God in Relation to the Atonement might be a good place to begin.

Anselm's view, btw, is mostly deduction and without solid biblical support.

Lynda,

1. The biblical teaching concerning the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ certainly includes the idea of "satisfaction", i.e., God was "satisfied" with Christ's sacrifice of Himself, both in His perfect keeping of the law and in His death on the cross as the qualified substitute for those whom He came to save. However, Anselm apparently wanted to understand this "satisfaction" as being simply in regard to God's honor without doing justice to the myriad places where the death of Christ satisfied divine justice. The entire OT sacrificial system was based upon God's "legal" requirements, i.e., His covenant with man beginning with Adam in the garden. The language in the NT likewise clearly speaks in forensic terms, e.g., Rom 3:24-26; 8:3,4; Gal 3:13; Col 2:14; Heb 9:15; 10:4-10; 1Pet 3:18; 1Jh 4:10, et al. The word "justification" alone shows that salvation is a legal matter.

2. I am not familiar with the Greek Orthodox's views concerning the atonement of Jesus Christ. But given all the other heretical views and practices of that church, I wouldn't let his disagreement with you bother you.