My first point is this: atonement isn’t a “thing.” It’s a shorthand. We use the word “atonement” in Western theological discussions as though there were one thing that we all know we’re talking about, even though it is hard to say what exactly it is. The word “atonement” occurs in English Bibles at various points, but that is misleading, as word studies of technical terms will bear out. The term “atonement” is not well served by being seen as the name for a “thing,” one specific truth. It is shorthand for a story.
