Five Views on the Extent of the Atonement

Counterpoints

by Andrew Louth, Michael Scott Horton (Contributor), Fred Sanders (Contributor)

For whom did Christ die? Who may be saved? are questions of perennial interest and importance for the Christian faith. In a familiar Counterpoints format, this book explores the question of the extent of Christ's atonement, going beyond simple Reformed vs. non-Reformed understandings. This volume elevates the conversation to a broader plane, including contributors who represent the breadth of Christian tradition:

Traditional Reformed: Michael Horton Wesleyan: Fred Sanders Roman Catholic: Matthew Levering Eastern Orthodox: Andrew Louth Barthian Universalism: Tom Greggs

This book serves not only as a single-volume resource for engaging the views on the extent of the atonement but also as a catalyst for understanding and advancing a balanced approach to this core Christian doctrine. The Counterpoints series provides a forum for comparison and critique of different views on issues important to Christians. Counterpoints books address two categories: Church Life and Bible and Theology. Complete your library with other books in the Counterpoints series.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 2, 2019

Reviews

[Suzanne McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four of the five contributors make this a very worthwhile volume. Even with the limits of a format such as this, which prohibits deep engagement with the topic and with one another, they raise substantive issues within and between their essays, and some quite subtle distinctions (this is in part because in Sanders and Levering we have Wesleyan and Roman Catholic voices that are much closer than many in those traditions to some of the priorities of the Reformed tradition. It will be interesting to see the extent to which others in their respective traditions are happy to claim their views as representative). Levering, Sanders, Horton, and Greggs make the most of their essays and are committed to grace-full, pointed, and substantive engagement with one another. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Andrew Louth. His essay is largely an exercise in avoiding issues of substance in relation to the topic for as long as possible, and his responses to the other essays are token at best, betraying a rushed and superficial reading of them. This is most disappointing, because there is much scope for significant engagement between East and West on this topic, and Louth blew off the opportunity to do that well. It is also frustrating, because his contributions substantially diminish the value of the book as a whole, especially in a classroom setting. My sense is that Louth really wanted to have nothing to do with this topic or this project, and I rather wish that Zondervan could have obliged, by cutting his contributions entirely and simply making this a ‘Four Views’ book.

[James Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edited book containing five essays by theologians from five distinct Christian communities on the extent of the atonement. After each essay, the other writers engage what has been said from the perspective of their own faith communities. Excellent read, but not a beginner's primer on the topic.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfortunately there’s no clear answer 😂

Found myself living between Greggs essay and Horton’s rebuttal, but what’s new?