George Smeaton (1814–-89) was a theologian in the Free Church of Scotland, and a contemporary of Robert Murray McCheyne and the brothers Andrew and Horatius Bonar. He is best known for his twin volumes, "Christ's Doctrine of the Atonement" and "The Apostles' Doctrine of the Atonement."

Over the centuries the church developed a number of metaphors, such as penal substitution or the ransom theory, to speak about Christ's death on the cross and the theological concept of the atonement. Yet too often, says Scot McKnight, Christians have held to the supremacy of one metaphor over against the others, to their detriment. He argues instead that to plumb the rich theological depths of the atonement, we must consider all the metaphors of atonement and ask whether they each serve a larger purpose. A Community Called Atonement is a constructive theology that not only values the church's atonement metaphors but also asserts that the atonement fundamentally shapes the life of the Christian and of the church. That is, Christ identifies with humans to call us into a community that reflects God's love (the church)--but that community then has the responsibility to offer God's love to others through missional practices of justice and fellowship, living out its life together as the story of God's reconciliation. Scot McKnight thus offers an accessible, thought-provoking theology of atonement that engages the concerns of those in the emerging church conversation and will be of interest to all those in the church and academy who are listening in.

The doctrine of the atonement is the distinctive doctrine of Christianity. Over the course of many centuries of reflection, highly diverse interpretations of the doctrine have been proposed. In the context of this history of interpretation, Eleonore Stump considers the doctrine afresh with philosophical care. Whatever exactly the atonement is, it is supposed to include a solution to the problems of the human condition, especially its guilt and shame. Stump canvasses the major interpretations of the doctrine that attempt to explain this solution and argues that all of them have serious shortcomings. In their place, she argues for an interpretation that is both novel and yet traditional and that has significant advantages over other interpretations, including Anselm's well-known account of the doctrine. In the process, she also discusses love, union, guilt, shame, forgiveness, retribution, punishment, shared attention, mind-reading, empathy, and various other issues in moral psychology and ethics.

Theologian Oliver Crisp explores the meaning of the cross and the various ways that the death of Jesus has been interpreted in the church's history—from ransom theory in the early church to penal substitutionary theory to more recent feminist critiques. What emerges is a more complex, expansive, and fruitful understanding of the atonement and its significance for the Christian faith today.

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Often caricatured, so-called 'limited atonement' is the doctrine that Jesus came definitely to save those particular people given to him by his Father. In a clear and comprehensive overview, Lee Gatiss examines the biblical and doctrinal case for this controversial teaching, explores key moments in its historical development, and expounds its implications for ministry today. 'a masterful, mini-treatise... I heartily commend this clear-headed, warm-hearted treatment.' J.I.Packer 'Gatiss makes his case patiently, respectfully, firmly. Those who disagree will find themselves much better informed; those who are sympathetic will rejoice to see the case freshly made.'

In a thorough examination of this issue, Rev. Douty demonstrates that the Limited Atonement is without foundation in the Scriptures. He examines the relevant Biblical passages, exposes the twisted exegesis of those who claim ÒworldÓ means the elect, and makes a thorough survey of theologians from church history. He concludes that Christ loves and atoned for all humanity.

No, Jesus did not die to purchase forgiveness from God or so that God could love you once again. God has always loved and always forgiven you for all your sins. By reading this book, you will learn why Jesus died, and what His death means. In the process, you will learn to see God, Scripture, yourself, and humanity in a whole new light. Hopefully, you will also learn to live in a whole new way. The book begins with a short explanation of the various views of the atonement, including an explanation and defense of the "Non-Violent View" of the atonement. This view argues that God did not need or demand the death of Jesus in order to forgive sins. In fact, God has never been angry with us at all, but has always loved and always forgiven. Following this explanation of the atonement, J. D. Myers takes you on a journey through 10 areas of theology which are radically changed and transformed by the Non-Violent view of the atonement. The ten areas that you will understand in a whole new way are: 1. The Life of Jesus Christ 2. God 3. Scripture 4. Sacrifice 5. Humanity 6. Sin 7. Forgiveness 8. Justice 9. Violence 10. Peace Read this book, and let your life and theology look more and more like Jesus Christ!