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The Death of the Messiah and the Birth of the New Covenant: A (Not So) New Model of the Atonement
In this groundbreaking book, Michael Gorman asks why there is no theory or model of the atonement called the "new-covenant" model, since this understanding of the atonement is likely the earliest in the Christian tradition, going back to Jesus himself. Gorman argues that most models of the atonement over-emphasize the penultimate purposes of Jesus' death and the "mechanics" of the atonement, rather than its ultimate purpose: to create a transformed, Spirit-filled people of God. The New Testament's various atonement metaphors are part of a remarkably coherent picture of Jesus' death as that which brings about the new covenant (and thus the new community) promised by the prophets, which is also the covenant of peace.
Gorman therefore proposes a new model of the atonement that is really not new at all—the new-covenant model. He argues that this is not merely an ancient model in need of rediscovery, but also a more comprehensive, integrated, participatory, communal, and missional model than any of the major models in the tradition. Life in this new covenant, Gorman argues, is a life of communal and individual participation in Jesus' faithful, loving, peacemaking death.
Written for both academics and church leaders, this book will challenge all who read it to re-think and re-articulate the meaning of Christ's death for us.
Gorman therefore proposes a new model of the atonement that is really not new at all—the new-covenant model. He argues that this is not merely an ancient model in need of rediscovery, but also a more comprehensive, integrated, participatory, communal, and missional model than any of the major models in the tradition. Life in this new covenant, Gorman argues, is a life of communal and individual participation in Jesus' faithful, loving, peacemaking death.
Written for both academics and church leaders, this book will challenge all who read it to re-think and re-articulate the meaning of Christ's death for us.
292 pages, Paperback
First published June 27, 2014
44 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Michael J. Gorman
53 books85 followersMichael J. Gorman (born 1955) is an American New Testament scholar. He is the Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology at St. Mary's Seminary and University. From 1995 to 2012 he was dean of St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute.
Gorman specializes especially in the letters, theology, and spirituality of the apostle Paul. He is associated with the "participationist perspective" on Paul's theology. His additional specialties are the book of Revelation, theological and missional interpretation of Scripture, the gospel of John, and early Christian ethics. Gorman was born and raised in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, graduating from Glen Burnie High School in Glen Burnie, Maryland. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude in French from Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. He received the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy cum laude in New Testament from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he was also a teaching fellow in New Testament and an instructor in New Testament Greek. He has also been a visiting professor at Duke Divinity School, Regent College, Carey Baptist College (New Zealand), Wesley Theological Seminary, and two theological schools in Africa. Gorman has led several study trips to Greece/Turkey/Rome and to France/Switzerland. A United Methodist, Gorman is an active layperson and a popular teacher at colleges, seminaries, churches, and conferences representing many traditions. In the mid-2010s, despite still being a Methodist, Gorman began teaching in a Roman Catholic context. His older son, Rev. Dr. Mark Gorman, is a pastor and theologian who is also on the faculty of St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute.
Gorman is the author of nearly twenty books and more than sixty articles on Biblical interpretation and on ethics.
Gorman specializes especially in the letters, theology, and spirituality of the apostle Paul. He is associated with the "participationist perspective" on Paul's theology. His additional specialties are the book of Revelation, theological and missional interpretation of Scripture, the gospel of John, and early Christian ethics. Gorman was born and raised in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, graduating from Glen Burnie High School in Glen Burnie, Maryland. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude in French from Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. He received the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy cum laude in New Testament from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he was also a teaching fellow in New Testament and an instructor in New Testament Greek. He has also been a visiting professor at Duke Divinity School, Regent College, Carey Baptist College (New Zealand), Wesley Theological Seminary, and two theological schools in Africa. Gorman has led several study trips to Greece/Turkey/Rome and to France/Switzerland. A United Methodist, Gorman is an active layperson and a popular teacher at colleges, seminaries, churches, and conferences representing many traditions. In the mid-2010s, despite still being a Methodist, Gorman began teaching in a Roman Catholic context. His older son, Rev. Dr. Mark Gorman, is a pastor and theologian who is also on the faculty of St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute.
Gorman is the author of nearly twenty books and more than sixty articles on Biblical interpretation and on ethics.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 10, 2015
Read the review here: http://mydigitalseminary.com/the-deat...
Most don’t feel the need to understand the inner workings of their car in order to drive. Most don’t look up electricity in an encyclopedia before they flip the light switch. How does it work? Simple; turn a key, flip a switch. Beyond that, it beats me. One doesn’t really need to know. That attitude often carries over regarding the death and resurrection of Christ. We know that it saves us, but as to how: who really knows? Throughout church history there have been a variety of explanations for exactly what Jesus did and exactly how it “works”, including Christus Victor and Penal Substitution. According to Michael Gorman, although the question of how is important, there remains the need for a model that focuses more on “what Jesus’ death does for and to humanity than how it does it”, which is what “the New Testament is much more concerned about” (p5, emphasis mine). Gorman attempts to provide such a model in The Death of the Messiah and the Birth of the New Covenant: A (Not So) New Model of the Atonement.
Death of the Messiah unfolds as follows. After explaining the neglect of and need for a model drawn around the New Covenant and the Old Testament witness to the NC (chapter 1), Gorman proceeds to identify the teaching on the cross and the NC from the Gospels and Acts (chapter 2) and Paul to Revelation (chapter 3). In these chapters we discover two foci: Christ’s death accomplished the NC, and we are called to participate in it. The next four chapters develop these “key aspects of participatory discipleship” (p31): faithfulness towards God (chapter 4), love for others (chapter 5) and peacemaking (chapters 6-7).
As you can see, much of the space is taken up with discussing the results of this model. What if excessive focus on the mechanics is a distraction from the intended result of creating a New Covenant community characterised by love, faithfulness and peace? What Christ has done is not merely given us a means to punch our tickets to heaven and then argue about how it works; He has created a people who are to follow His cross-bearing example and live in truly human ways.
By taking a step back, this model reunites some unnecessary polarities that have developed in the atonement debate such as pitting the Gospels against Paul, or the atonement with sanctification, or faith with works. These are often set at odds against one another, even with the result that some models draw entirely from one but have little to say from and to the other. Instead, Gorman’s approach more broadly encompasses the various New Testament teaching driven by the cross.
Very much appreciated is Gorman’s kind and balanced attitude towards other atonement models and his humility in offering his own. He may have been more punchy if he presented himself as an Elijah (“only I am left”) reclaiming the teaching of Scripture singlehandedly. However, instead in several places, he recognises the limits of his own study and model.
Death of the Messiah can be a long-winded or repetitious at times for such a short book. Some sections are needlessly prolonged, making an otherwise good point but doing so several times or with many words. However, Gorman is articulate and enjoyable to read.
I find little to disagree with here. I greatly appreciate that Gorman is not attempting to disparage any other model, but simply to allow his to find a place of its own. This “New Covenant” model sits nicely alongside, and fruitfully interacts with, others such as the victor, new exodus, and penal models. Gorman’s focus on the goal, rather than the mechanics, of the cross is refreshing and on has direct implications for discipleship. In contrast with some models that can only affirm one side of the coin, here is a model that keeps distinct that Christ has done what we cannot, but emphasizes our need to go and do likewise. In other words, the absolute uniqueness, but exemplary elements of Christ’s work are glued together.
Greatly appreciated is that Gorman highlights the absolute centrality of the New Covenant, showing how entrenched the NC is in New Testament thought and teaching. Even where it is not explicit, the NC is still very much close at hand.
I do wish there was more focus on how Jesus death initiated the New Covenant, as Scripture is not silent in this area. Of course I am perpetuating the craving to look under the bonnet (or hood, if you are American) rather than drive the car. However, such a desire to understand need not be disdained. As one’s appreciation for a subject grows, they will no doubt want to understand its very inner workings as a continuation of their delight, not a distraction from it. This desire to go deeper is commendable and beneficial. However, Gorman is right that we must never become so focused on the mechanics that we never turn the key and drive.
The Death of the Messiah and the Birth of the New Covenant brings valuable and noteworthy additions to the atonement discussion. Gorman’s wide-angle lens and focus on the results of the cross means that Death of the Messiah is able to bring this discussion into the trenches of the Christian’s battle. Though teachers and professors will want to consult Gorman and take seriously his work here, I recommend this book primarily to anyone who wants to see how Christ’s cross-work directly results in a people for his own possession zealous for good works (Titus 2:14).
Many thanks to Wipf & Stock for providing a review copy. Their generosity has not affected my opinions of the book.
Most don’t feel the need to understand the inner workings of their car in order to drive. Most don’t look up electricity in an encyclopedia before they flip the light switch. How does it work? Simple; turn a key, flip a switch. Beyond that, it beats me. One doesn’t really need to know. That attitude often carries over regarding the death and resurrection of Christ. We know that it saves us, but as to how: who really knows? Throughout church history there have been a variety of explanations for exactly what Jesus did and exactly how it “works”, including Christus Victor and Penal Substitution. According to Michael Gorman, although the question of how is important, there remains the need for a model that focuses more on “what Jesus’ death does for and to humanity than how it does it”, which is what “the New Testament is much more concerned about” (p5, emphasis mine). Gorman attempts to provide such a model in The Death of the Messiah and the Birth of the New Covenant: A (Not So) New Model of the Atonement.
Death of the Messiah unfolds as follows. After explaining the neglect of and need for a model drawn around the New Covenant and the Old Testament witness to the NC (chapter 1), Gorman proceeds to identify the teaching on the cross and the NC from the Gospels and Acts (chapter 2) and Paul to Revelation (chapter 3). In these chapters we discover two foci: Christ’s death accomplished the NC, and we are called to participate in it. The next four chapters develop these “key aspects of participatory discipleship” (p31): faithfulness towards God (chapter 4), love for others (chapter 5) and peacemaking (chapters 6-7).
As you can see, much of the space is taken up with discussing the results of this model. What if excessive focus on the mechanics is a distraction from the intended result of creating a New Covenant community characterised by love, faithfulness and peace? What Christ has done is not merely given us a means to punch our tickets to heaven and then argue about how it works; He has created a people who are to follow His cross-bearing example and live in truly human ways.
By taking a step back, this model reunites some unnecessary polarities that have developed in the atonement debate such as pitting the Gospels against Paul, or the atonement with sanctification, or faith with works. These are often set at odds against one another, even with the result that some models draw entirely from one but have little to say from and to the other. Instead, Gorman’s approach more broadly encompasses the various New Testament teaching driven by the cross.
Very much appreciated is Gorman’s kind and balanced attitude towards other atonement models and his humility in offering his own. He may have been more punchy if he presented himself as an Elijah (“only I am left”) reclaiming the teaching of Scripture singlehandedly. However, instead in several places, he recognises the limits of his own study and model.
Death of the Messiah can be a long-winded or repetitious at times for such a short book. Some sections are needlessly prolonged, making an otherwise good point but doing so several times or with many words. However, Gorman is articulate and enjoyable to read.
I find little to disagree with here. I greatly appreciate that Gorman is not attempting to disparage any other model, but simply to allow his to find a place of its own. This “New Covenant” model sits nicely alongside, and fruitfully interacts with, others such as the victor, new exodus, and penal models. Gorman’s focus on the goal, rather than the mechanics, of the cross is refreshing and on has direct implications for discipleship. In contrast with some models that can only affirm one side of the coin, here is a model that keeps distinct that Christ has done what we cannot, but emphasizes our need to go and do likewise. In other words, the absolute uniqueness, but exemplary elements of Christ’s work are glued together.
Greatly appreciated is that Gorman highlights the absolute centrality of the New Covenant, showing how entrenched the NC is in New Testament thought and teaching. Even where it is not explicit, the NC is still very much close at hand.
I do wish there was more focus on how Jesus death initiated the New Covenant, as Scripture is not silent in this area. Of course I am perpetuating the craving to look under the bonnet (or hood, if you are American) rather than drive the car. However, such a desire to understand need not be disdained. As one’s appreciation for a subject grows, they will no doubt want to understand its very inner workings as a continuation of their delight, not a distraction from it. This desire to go deeper is commendable and beneficial. However, Gorman is right that we must never become so focused on the mechanics that we never turn the key and drive.
The Death of the Messiah and the Birth of the New Covenant brings valuable and noteworthy additions to the atonement discussion. Gorman’s wide-angle lens and focus on the results of the cross means that Death of the Messiah is able to bring this discussion into the trenches of the Christian’s battle. Though teachers and professors will want to consult Gorman and take seriously his work here, I recommend this book primarily to anyone who wants to see how Christ’s cross-work directly results in a people for his own possession zealous for good works (Titus 2:14).
Many thanks to Wipf & Stock for providing a review copy. Their generosity has not affected my opinions of the book.
December 20, 2022
2022 reads: 26
Rating: 4.5 stars
Rating: 4.5 stars
January 4, 2021
Beautiful capture of new covenant theory of atonement. Technical reading.. but a must read for those who want to understand why Jesus died.
March 28, 2021
As is often said, the mark of a good book is when one hightlights the heck out of it.
I've got a LOT of highlights from this book. Enough quotes to fill a book itself.
The way Gorman writes and reflects his thoughts and outlines his arguments is really concise, which means he's also an easy academic to read. Very methodical in his approach. That's not to say that this book won't require time and investment. It is FULL of scripture, and it would be impossible to truly appreciate without having a Bible open and tracking along with his progression of thought.
If I was to summarize his thoughts as succinctly as I could, I would likely say this. The Christian Church and Christian history is full of different ideas about what the atonement is doing and how it achieves what it is that it is doing. There is a good reason for why we have so many seemingly conflicting ideas about the what and the how (the fact that this is wrapped up in the death and resurrection of Christ is essentially agreed on). The reason why there are so many ideas is becuase it is a multifaceted idea. It cannot simply be whittled down to one thing because the human experience is also multifaceted. Therefore all of these atonement theories that we have are born from people asking necessary questions and wrestling with real challenges regarding how it is that the Cross and the Resurrection plays as good news in our life and in our world.
The real challenge then, is to learn how to allow all these ideas to sit in dialogue with one another, to inform the other, because behind these ideas are reflections of the human experience of god in relationship to the world. It is when we make one single idea, and further our understanding of what that one single idea must be, the penitulant idea that this conversation can no longer happen and we elevate ourselves above what it is Christ is actually doing. And while most people would love to stand up and say that they are actually engaged in a conversation with the multifaceted idea, in truth most people have elevated something as the penitulant idea. This is why we have so much division.
To press this sumary of Gorman's ideas a little further, this is where he says that the one single measure, which becomes the very measure of his not so new new covenant approach to the atonement, is participation. Whatever the Cross is and whatever the Cross does, it must make sense in our lives, in our relationships. What Christ accomplishes, we are called to participate in. Too often what happens is people take their ideas of God and place them on a distanced other. This allows their ideas of God to then function apart from the human experience, and to say things about God and God's character that wouldn't make sense within the human experience. That God is love, for example, means that the Cross is an action of love that we are called to imitate in our lives through loving others. What happens when we distance God from the human experience is that the atonement becomes about our knowledge of the Character of God rather than our participation in the life of Christ. And this knowledge then divides, and often over extremely problematic depictions of God's character as standing above our own moral understanding. For God to make sense, God must make sense within the love we are called to embody.
If there is one single thing Gorman suggests that plays through scripture as the central problem the Cross is addressing it is division and violence. From the opening pages of scripture we find the problem in Garden to be one of the serpent set against the people and creation (the land), people in contest with creation (the land), and people in contest with one another (the man with power over the woman). This plays out in a particular way as the Cain and Abel story models after the Adam and Eve story resulting in an outcome of violence. And violence doesn't have to be murder, it can be anything that divides. And what we see in the story of Cain and Abel is that this gets perpetuated into a pattern and a cycle. It gets stuck in an eye for an eye form of justice that sees a wrongdoing demanding repayment. The problem being that this simply increases as the cycle continues unbroken (read the Noah story). What Christ does on the Cross then is break this cycle by taking that eye for an eye form of justice, the kind that demands repayment for sins, and subverts it through the self giving love of the Cross. What Jesus does is take all of the sins of the world that find their root in this perpetuated cycle and says, I have taken it on myself. Therefore it no longer needs to be repayed. The cycle is broken. And in this Jesus can decalre the whole forgiveness of sins.
But, and here's the catch. It is from here that we are then called to participate in this same action. This is what lies behind the tough phrases that say to forgive others as I have forgiven you, or the one that says to forgive so that I may forgive you. Participation in what Christ accomplishes in the atonement for our sins becomes the means by which Christ then breaks the cycle that hold us in bondage. It is by taking unforgiveness in all its forms and setting it at the foot of the Cross that we are free to step into the full forgivness of sins in a way that does not demand repayment. And we enter into a new and greater way of peace and unity with one another, which Gorman argues is at the heart of the good news, the Gospel movement, and the atonement itself as a multifaceted concern for every aspect of our lives, those who are oppressed and those who are oppressing. This is how forgivness works.
This is my first Gorman, and I am hooked. He displays a breadth of knowledge and a real heart for seeing through the divide and the clutter. He's kind of like Wright for Weslyan's (he writes kind of from an anabaptist stream), and so his dedication to non violence and a Gospel of non-violence is clear, but his willingness to foster and bring us back to dialogue with one another across the divide is admirable, appreciated and wholly fufilling. If you want a fairly accessible way into the fullness of the Biblical narrative, and one that helps make sense of complicated theology by applying it directly to our lives and participation, I very much recommend this as a must read.
I've got a LOT of highlights from this book. Enough quotes to fill a book itself.
The way Gorman writes and reflects his thoughts and outlines his arguments is really concise, which means he's also an easy academic to read. Very methodical in his approach. That's not to say that this book won't require time and investment. It is FULL of scripture, and it would be impossible to truly appreciate without having a Bible open and tracking along with his progression of thought.
If I was to summarize his thoughts as succinctly as I could, I would likely say this. The Christian Church and Christian history is full of different ideas about what the atonement is doing and how it achieves what it is that it is doing. There is a good reason for why we have so many seemingly conflicting ideas about the what and the how (the fact that this is wrapped up in the death and resurrection of Christ is essentially agreed on). The reason why there are so many ideas is becuase it is a multifaceted idea. It cannot simply be whittled down to one thing because the human experience is also multifaceted. Therefore all of these atonement theories that we have are born from people asking necessary questions and wrestling with real challenges regarding how it is that the Cross and the Resurrection plays as good news in our life and in our world.
The real challenge then, is to learn how to allow all these ideas to sit in dialogue with one another, to inform the other, because behind these ideas are reflections of the human experience of god in relationship to the world. It is when we make one single idea, and further our understanding of what that one single idea must be, the penitulant idea that this conversation can no longer happen and we elevate ourselves above what it is Christ is actually doing. And while most people would love to stand up and say that they are actually engaged in a conversation with the multifaceted idea, in truth most people have elevated something as the penitulant idea. This is why we have so much division.
To press this sumary of Gorman's ideas a little further, this is where he says that the one single measure, which becomes the very measure of his not so new new covenant approach to the atonement, is participation. Whatever the Cross is and whatever the Cross does, it must make sense in our lives, in our relationships. What Christ accomplishes, we are called to participate in. Too often what happens is people take their ideas of God and place them on a distanced other. This allows their ideas of God to then function apart from the human experience, and to say things about God and God's character that wouldn't make sense within the human experience. That God is love, for example, means that the Cross is an action of love that we are called to imitate in our lives through loving others. What happens when we distance God from the human experience is that the atonement becomes about our knowledge of the Character of God rather than our participation in the life of Christ. And this knowledge then divides, and often over extremely problematic depictions of God's character as standing above our own moral understanding. For God to make sense, God must make sense within the love we are called to embody.
If there is one single thing Gorman suggests that plays through scripture as the central problem the Cross is addressing it is division and violence. From the opening pages of scripture we find the problem in Garden to be one of the serpent set against the people and creation (the land), people in contest with creation (the land), and people in contest with one another (the man with power over the woman). This plays out in a particular way as the Cain and Abel story models after the Adam and Eve story resulting in an outcome of violence. And violence doesn't have to be murder, it can be anything that divides. And what we see in the story of Cain and Abel is that this gets perpetuated into a pattern and a cycle. It gets stuck in an eye for an eye form of justice that sees a wrongdoing demanding repayment. The problem being that this simply increases as the cycle continues unbroken (read the Noah story). What Christ does on the Cross then is break this cycle by taking that eye for an eye form of justice, the kind that demands repayment for sins, and subverts it through the self giving love of the Cross. What Jesus does is take all of the sins of the world that find their root in this perpetuated cycle and says, I have taken it on myself. Therefore it no longer needs to be repayed. The cycle is broken. And in this Jesus can decalre the whole forgiveness of sins.
But, and here's the catch. It is from here that we are then called to participate in this same action. This is what lies behind the tough phrases that say to forgive others as I have forgiven you, or the one that says to forgive so that I may forgive you. Participation in what Christ accomplishes in the atonement for our sins becomes the means by which Christ then breaks the cycle that hold us in bondage. It is by taking unforgiveness in all its forms and setting it at the foot of the Cross that we are free to step into the full forgivness of sins in a way that does not demand repayment. And we enter into a new and greater way of peace and unity with one another, which Gorman argues is at the heart of the good news, the Gospel movement, and the atonement itself as a multifaceted concern for every aspect of our lives, those who are oppressed and those who are oppressing. This is how forgivness works.
This is my first Gorman, and I am hooked. He displays a breadth of knowledge and a real heart for seeing through the divide and the clutter. He's kind of like Wright for Weslyan's (he writes kind of from an anabaptist stream), and so his dedication to non violence and a Gospel of non-violence is clear, but his willingness to foster and bring us back to dialogue with one another across the divide is admirable, appreciated and wholly fufilling. If you want a fairly accessible way into the fullness of the Biblical narrative, and one that helps make sense of complicated theology by applying it directly to our lives and participation, I very much recommend this as a must read.
July 2, 2020
What did Christ’s death on the cross accomplish? In modern times, it’s almost become a competition of views. One atonement theory vs another. But does it have to be this way? No.
Michael Gorman’s book has brought a new (or, as you see, not so new) theory of atonement that is more, all-encompassing. In his words,
“Rather, the goal of this book is to present some of the basic New Testament foundations of, and its framework for, a new-covenant model of the atonement.” Pg. 6, Intro
Gorman’s book doesn’t focus on the “mechanics” of the atonement, or in other words, the “how” the cross brings forth atonement. “Why the cross? Could it have been done another way? How did the cross achieve this? Etc.” It focuses moreso,
“I have been arguing.....in *the results* of atonement”. Pg 210
While, for me, that was disappointing, Gorman’s book had a lot of helpful insights on the results of the atoning death of Jesus.
He made a wonderful case for the effects of Christ’s death that inaugurates the effects of the new covenant by creating a covenant community of peaceful people that will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to reflect the character and actions of Christ—even a call to suffering like the Messiah. During the time of Christ a view of power and domination (Pax Romana) was the norm, Christs call was the opposite; it was a self giving and servant hood call. This is gone into depth in chapters 3, 4 and 5.
Some key notes I noticed from the book:
I noticed he didn’t bring up hell or final judgement. I can understand why; that wasn’t the focus of this book, but it brings a greater context to the rescuing of the Messiah’s work. There wasn’t a big stress, if at all, on the judgement of God and Penal substitution wasn’t highly regarded which naturally causes us to beg the question, “why the cross? How was that necessary?” However, I will note that he is absolutely right when he says,
“most models of the atonement stop short of this goal, focusing on absolutely necessary but nonetheless penultimate issues” Pg 3, Intro
There is a lot more that can be said that was great, and some other issues, but his book was enlightening and encouraging to read. Christ didn’t come to just save YOU, but to build a covenant of peace for a community of people and the entire cosmos.
Michael Gorman’s book has brought a new (or, as you see, not so new) theory of atonement that is more, all-encompassing. In his words,
“Rather, the goal of this book is to present some of the basic New Testament foundations of, and its framework for, a new-covenant model of the atonement.” Pg. 6, Intro
Gorman’s book doesn’t focus on the “mechanics” of the atonement, or in other words, the “how” the cross brings forth atonement. “Why the cross? Could it have been done another way? How did the cross achieve this? Etc.” It focuses moreso,
“I have been arguing.....in *the results* of atonement”. Pg 210
While, for me, that was disappointing, Gorman’s book had a lot of helpful insights on the results of the atoning death of Jesus.
He made a wonderful case for the effects of Christ’s death that inaugurates the effects of the new covenant by creating a covenant community of peaceful people that will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to reflect the character and actions of Christ—even a call to suffering like the Messiah. During the time of Christ a view of power and domination (Pax Romana) was the norm, Christs call was the opposite; it was a self giving and servant hood call. This is gone into depth in chapters 3, 4 and 5.
Some key notes I noticed from the book:
I noticed he didn’t bring up hell or final judgement. I can understand why; that wasn’t the focus of this book, but it brings a greater context to the rescuing of the Messiah’s work. There wasn’t a big stress, if at all, on the judgement of God and Penal substitution wasn’t highly regarded which naturally causes us to beg the question, “why the cross? How was that necessary?” However, I will note that he is absolutely right when he says,
“most models of the atonement stop short of this goal, focusing on absolutely necessary but nonetheless penultimate issues” Pg 3, Intro
There is a lot more that can be said that was great, and some other issues, but his book was enlightening and encouraging to read. Christ didn’t come to just save YOU, but to build a covenant of peace for a community of people and the entire cosmos.
September 21, 2020
I'm being slightly generous when I give this top marks, but it does deliver what I want from a book like this. This is sensible biblical theology and it provides a great framework for different atonement theories (or "models"). What I take away from this is that Jesus died to give birth to a new community of humans, participating in the death and resurrection-story through Christian practices of faithfulness, love and peace.
Like a good protestant, I used to think of the New Covenant in rather narrow terms of forgiveness and "faith" (as opposed to "works"). But that was a long time ago thanks to new perspectives on Paul and the New Testament. This book takes me a step further on that journey by showing what actually does belong with the promised "New Covenant". It seems to be all about the Church as a community of disciples and as a kind of New Humanity.
I will be looking for more books by Michael Gorman. I'm told there are plenty.
Like a good protestant, I used to think of the New Covenant in rather narrow terms of forgiveness and "faith" (as opposed to "works"). But that was a long time ago thanks to new perspectives on Paul and the New Testament. This book takes me a step further on that journey by showing what actually does belong with the promised "New Covenant". It seems to be all about the Church as a community of disciples and as a kind of New Humanity.
I will be looking for more books by Michael Gorman. I'm told there are plenty.
October 28, 2024
I love the primary thesis of this book.
The new-covenant, participatory model of atonement encapsulates what is ultimate about atonement, versus what is penultimate (other theories on atonement like PSA, Christus Victor, etc.) And Gorman makes a compelling case as to why this is. He makes clear too that the New Testament doesn’t primarily focus on the mechanics of the atonement (as in other popular models) but what it achieves. And that is to create a new-covenant community of people who participate in the life and death of Jesus, expressed in faithful witness and suffering, hospitality to the weak and servant love for all, and peacemaking.
My biggest complaint against the book and why I went for 3 stars instead of 4 is the way Gorman spends the middle portion of the book trudging through the Gospels, Paul, Hebrews, and Revelation a bit too formulaically to the point that it become monotonous to read through. I’d recommend the first third of this book and the conclusion.
The new-covenant, participatory model of atonement encapsulates what is ultimate about atonement, versus what is penultimate (other theories on atonement like PSA, Christus Victor, etc.) And Gorman makes a compelling case as to why this is. He makes clear too that the New Testament doesn’t primarily focus on the mechanics of the atonement (as in other popular models) but what it achieves. And that is to create a new-covenant community of people who participate in the life and death of Jesus, expressed in faithful witness and suffering, hospitality to the weak and servant love for all, and peacemaking.
My biggest complaint against the book and why I went for 3 stars instead of 4 is the way Gorman spends the middle portion of the book trudging through the Gospels, Paul, Hebrews, and Revelation a bit too formulaically to the point that it become monotonous to read through. I’d recommend the first third of this book and the conclusion.
March 26, 2022
Much Needed
Michael Gorman is one of my favorite scholars and this book is a perfect example of why. His heart for discipleship as well as for the Church to have a robust theology is so evident in everything he writes. Digging into the “what it means” instead of simply the “mechanics” of atonement is so helpful. This book and the model set forth for the atonement is as focused on what it means and what it should look like to be a member of the new covenant family as it is about “how” we are united with Christ. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in gaining a more profound understanding of Jesus and what his life, death and resurrection achieved.
Michael Gorman is one of my favorite scholars and this book is a perfect example of why. His heart for discipleship as well as for the Church to have a robust theology is so evident in everything he writes. Digging into the “what it means” instead of simply the “mechanics” of atonement is so helpful. This book and the model set forth for the atonement is as focused on what it means and what it should look like to be a member of the new covenant family as it is about “how” we are united with Christ. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in gaining a more profound understanding of Jesus and what his life, death and resurrection achieved.
October 31, 2017
You can read the full review on my blog, SpoiledMilks (9/27/17).
Discussions on the atonement are never-ending, and it’s only getting harder to keep up. This doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but where ought one start? Michael Gorman, author of numerous books, has written “a (not so) new model of the atonement.” Gorman contends “throughout the book that in the New Testament the death of Jesus is not only the source , but also the shape, of salvation. It therefore also determines the shape of the community—the community of the new covenant—that benefits from and participates in Jesus’ saving death.” (4)
Gorman presents connections between Christ’s atonement, the new covenant inaugurated by his blood, and the way the church community participates in his death and suffering while looking forward to the day of resurrection. One of Gorman’s focuses is how Christ’s new-creational people participate in faithfulness, love, and peace (4).
“Throughout the New Testament, faith, as a practice, is about faithfulness even to the point of suffering and death; love, as a practice, has a distinctive, Christlike shape of siding with the weak and eschewing domination in favor of service; and hope, as a practice, means living peaceably (which includes nonviolently) and making peace. Thus the summary triad ‘faithfulness, love, and peace’ is appropriate.” (4-5)
Gorman isn’t concerned to interact with other interpretations of the atonement, nor with the “mechanics” of the atonement or the atonement theories. Rather than diving into how it works, Gorman wants to portray what it does in the lives of believers. Gorman claims, “The New Testament is much more concerned about what Jesus’ death does for and to humanity than how it does it.” (5).
Throughout his book, Gorman argues for a kind of theosis, saying that the Christian life/community is a “transformative, communal participation in the life of God as the new covenant people of God” (68). Belief in Jesus is not merely an intellectual assent. Instead, “his story will become [our] story” (87). We live out his story daily. In writing about Revelation 1.5-6, Gorman says, “Those liberated from sin by Jesus’ death (the cross as the source of salvation) are now shaped into faithful witnesses, even to the point of suffering and death (the cross as the shape of salvation)” (103). John reminds the churches that he is their brother and fellow participant in both the tribulation and the kingdom (Rev 1.9).
Recommended?
Whether or not one agrees with all Gorman has said here, this book is an excellent resource for those who are interested in the new covenant, the atonement, and the outflow of new-covenant living (peace, faithfulness, love). We were once an enemy of God, and he has now made peace with us so that we can be his eternally adopted children. Should that not play out in our own lives? This would be beneficial required reading in seminary classrooms, for students, for pastors, and for teachers. This would make a good pair with Adam Johnson’s Atonement: A Guide for the Perplexed, which surveys the many atonement models and looks at how they emphasize a true aspect of Christ’s work.
Discussions on the atonement are never-ending, and it’s only getting harder to keep up. This doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but where ought one start? Michael Gorman, author of numerous books, has written “a (not so) new model of the atonement.” Gorman contends “throughout the book that in the New Testament the death of Jesus is not only the source , but also the shape, of salvation. It therefore also determines the shape of the community—the community of the new covenant—that benefits from and participates in Jesus’ saving death.” (4)
Gorman presents connections between Christ’s atonement, the new covenant inaugurated by his blood, and the way the church community participates in his death and suffering while looking forward to the day of resurrection. One of Gorman’s focuses is how Christ’s new-creational people participate in faithfulness, love, and peace (4).
“Throughout the New Testament, faith, as a practice, is about faithfulness even to the point of suffering and death; love, as a practice, has a distinctive, Christlike shape of siding with the weak and eschewing domination in favor of service; and hope, as a practice, means living peaceably (which includes nonviolently) and making peace. Thus the summary triad ‘faithfulness, love, and peace’ is appropriate.” (4-5)
Gorman isn’t concerned to interact with other interpretations of the atonement, nor with the “mechanics” of the atonement or the atonement theories. Rather than diving into how it works, Gorman wants to portray what it does in the lives of believers. Gorman claims, “The New Testament is much more concerned about what Jesus’ death does for and to humanity than how it does it.” (5).
Throughout his book, Gorman argues for a kind of theosis, saying that the Christian life/community is a “transformative, communal participation in the life of God as the new covenant people of God” (68). Belief in Jesus is not merely an intellectual assent. Instead, “his story will become [our] story” (87). We live out his story daily. In writing about Revelation 1.5-6, Gorman says, “Those liberated from sin by Jesus’ death (the cross as the source of salvation) are now shaped into faithful witnesses, even to the point of suffering and death (the cross as the shape of salvation)” (103). John reminds the churches that he is their brother and fellow participant in both the tribulation and the kingdom (Rev 1.9).
Recommended?
Whether or not one agrees with all Gorman has said here, this book is an excellent resource for those who are interested in the new covenant, the atonement, and the outflow of new-covenant living (peace, faithfulness, love). We were once an enemy of God, and he has now made peace with us so that we can be his eternally adopted children. Should that not play out in our own lives? This would be beneficial required reading in seminary classrooms, for students, for pastors, and for teachers. This would make a good pair with Adam Johnson’s Atonement: A Guide for the Perplexed, which surveys the many atonement models and looks at how they emphasize a true aspect of Christ’s work.
April 30, 2024
As of now this is my favorite book I’ve ever read. I don’t know why. Anyway here’s some quotes I enjoyed
-"The Son became as we are so that he might, on our behalf, make peace with God."
- Christian theology has developed, and continues to need, multiple models of the atonement because the ultimate goal of Jesus' death —the formation of the new covenant community— is a multi-dimensional reality that is the soteriological result of a multi-dimensional reality —the human condition-within which human beings need salvation.
- The polyvalent cross is not only the source, but also
the shape, of salvation; it is the means of, and the pattern
for, becoming most fully human, most fully Christlike, most
fully Godlike. The cross is remembered, celebrated, and
performed as the work of Christ but also, ultimately, as
the work of God and now, by the power of the Spirit, the
ongoing work of the church. All of this is so because, and
only because, God has raised to life the crucified Jesus. Now death—his—has become the means of birth-ours, both individually and corporately.
-"The Son became as we are so that he might, on our behalf, make peace with God."
- Christian theology has developed, and continues to need, multiple models of the atonement because the ultimate goal of Jesus' death —the formation of the new covenant community— is a multi-dimensional reality that is the soteriological result of a multi-dimensional reality —the human condition-within which human beings need salvation.
- The polyvalent cross is not only the source, but also
the shape, of salvation; it is the means of, and the pattern
for, becoming most fully human, most fully Christlike, most
fully Godlike. The cross is remembered, celebrated, and
performed as the work of Christ but also, ultimately, as
the work of God and now, by the power of the Spirit, the
ongoing work of the church. All of this is so because, and
only because, God has raised to life the crucified Jesus. Now death—his—has become the means of birth-ours, both individually and corporately.
April 19, 2015
A very challenging, but helpful, book on the meaning of the Atonement in New Testament theology. This book challenges the reader to integrate the meaning of the atonement into a lived theology, arguing that in the New Testament it is not about the mechanics but the ethics of the atonement that is central to the writing. In Gorman's estimation, the atonement should lead the Christian community to live out faith, love, and peace (as a means of expressing a lived hope), overflowing from an understanding of a God who worked through self-sacrifice out of a love for all humanity. This theological shift orients the church towards a faith that expresses itself in love for the world God loves in tangible acts of self-sacrifice. I am thankful for this challenge, though it calls me towards a greater commitment to humbly serve others, modeling the service after one who willfully sacrificed himself for the sake of others.
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