A North American theologian who has made important contributions to the theology of the cross is the Canadian Douglas John Hall.36 He speaks of the crucifixion as a “conquest from within” the human condition, particularly emphasizing the human condition of pain, limitation, abandonment, and despair. He insists that the Christian community is identified by the theologia crucis as by nothing else. If we are to claim our true identity, we need to renounce our relentlessly upbeat orientation.
