The Atonement and Modern Thought

With the rise of liberalism in the nineteenth century, a number of traditional Christian doctrines were rejected by prominent theologians and pastors. One of the central disagreements between liberal and orthodox theologians was over the doctrine of atonement. While confessional Protestants, both Lutheran and Reformed, continued to confess Christ’s death as a vicarious satisfaction of sin, liberal theologians argued that this was an outdated medieval concept which should be rejected for other atonement models. In this book, Junius Remensnyder argues for a traditional reformation approach to the atonement in light of contemporary criticisms. Though this work is one hundred years old, the criticisms leveled against the vicarious atonement remain the same today. As contemporary theologians, including some who are popular in Confessional Lutheran theology, continue to utilize these arguments, Remensnyder’s book remains a powerful and concise treatment of the work of Christ’s on behalf of sinners.