Our liturgies for the Eucharist—the Mass, Communion, the Lord’s Supper—commonly use the language of substitutionary sacrifice. Thus it is not surprising that many Christians think this is the “real” reason for Jesus’s death, the orthodox and “official” understanding. So do many who have difficulty with this notion, whether they remain within the church or are outside of it. The position is defended by many and viewed with skepticism, even ridiculed, by many others.
