An Anti-Retributivist Soteriology

From Ted Grimsrud:

Jesus’ God is not a God who demands repayment of every ounce of indebtedness. Rather, God is a God of abundant mercy. Jesus taught that debts would be released without any kind of payment (Luke 4:19). The nature of the salvation Jesus proclaims turns the debt motif on its head. His Jubilee theology does not accept the logic of retribution that portrays human beings having an overwhelming debt to God. That logic sees this debt leading God to demand perfect obedience or a violent sacrifice as a necessary basis for paying the debt and thereby earning God’s favor. Instead, Jesus began his ministry by proclaiming a word of pure acceptance—the poor, the captives, the oppressed are given a simple word of unilateral acceptance by God. God simply forgives the debts.

Jesus’ gospel message does lead directly to his death. This death, though, is not the necessary means to affect the salvation Jesus the Savior brings the world. Rather, the death stems from the response of the Powers to the salvation already given by God. Jesus’ straight out mercy reveals to the world God’s saving will with unprecedented clarity.

Jesus’ death adds nothing to the means of salvation—God’s mercy saves, from the calling of Abraham on. Rather, Jesus’ death reveals the depth of the rebellion of the Powers, especially the political and religious human institutions that line up to execute Jesus. Even more so, Jesus’ death reveals the power of God’s love. Jesus’ death does indeed profoundly heighten our understanding of salvation. It reveals that the logic of retribution is an instrument of evil and that God’s love prevails even over the most extreme expression of (demonic) retribution.

Hmm. I'm not sure I'm ready to accept this teaching.

I want to have both -- that is, both that Jesus' death is the result of an evil world's response to His way of love and nonviolence, and also that Jesus' death is part of God's plan to effect the redemption of the world.

At the same time, I don't want to limit the work of the atonement to Jesus' death, nor to its means. The resurrection seems central (because it is there we see life overcoming death), although I would not want to limit the work of the atonement to the resurrection, either, to the exclusion of Jesus' death--and Jesus' life.

I am so glad we are not saved by correct doctrine, but by the work of God in Christ (whatever the heck that is). :)

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"Make me a channel of Your Peace."

-St. Francis

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More on Same-Sex Issues

Through Halden's blog, I today came across peacetheology.net, which collects some work by Ted Grimsund, who teaches theology and peace studies at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, PA.

Among other topics, Grimsund has written on the topic of homosexuality. He has published a book with fellow EMU professor of theology Mark Thiessen Nation entitled Reasoning Together: A Conversation on Homosexuality. One of Grimsund's chapters is on his website, here. He argues for what he calls "the inclusive perspective".

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"Make me a channel of Your Peace."

-St. Francis

Read the full post.