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The Christian life requires faith. That means that believers are
sometimes faced with uncertainty. But is all uncertainty bad?
Theologian Joshua McNall encourages readers to reclaim the little
word "perhaps" as a sacred space between the warring extremes of
unchecked doubt and zealous dogmatism. To say "perhaps" on certain
contested topics means exercising a hopeful imagination, asking
hard questions, returning once again to Scripture, and reclaiming
the place of holy speculation as we cling to a faith that stands
distinct from both pervasive skepticism and abrasive certainty. In
this day especially, it's time Christians learned to say "perhaps."
How can a doctrine about reconciliation with God create so much
controversy among God's people? Theologian Brad Vaughn believes
Christians can gain clarity and unity on the doctrine of the
atonement through a renewed attention to the biblical evidence.
While theological theories are necessary and useful, they can
obscure reality as much as clarify it. And we're often ignorant of
the role that cultural and historical context plays in shaping
these views. Instead of beginning by comparing atonement theories,
he argues, we need to delve deep into the Bible, where we find a
handful of motifs that combine to form a richer, more robust
theology of atonement. The Cross in Context presents a perspective
on the atonement that seeks to reconcile theological camps and
enable Christians to interpret the Bible more faithfully. It draws
from the entire biblical canon and considers the New Testament in
light of its Old Testament background, focusing on the internal
logic of Israel's sacrificial system. Applying his intercultural
ministry experience and expertise on honor and shame, Vaughn also
considers how to effectively contextualize the multifaceted message
of salvation in diverse cultural contexts. Combining missiology,
theology, and biblical studies, The Cross in Context provides a
refreshing and nuanced look at the atonement and what it means for
the life and witness of the church.
The Mosaic of Atonement offers a fresh and integrated approach to
historic models of atonement. While modern treatments of the
doctrine have tended toward either a defensive hierarchy, in which
one model is singled out as most important, or a disconnected
plurality, in which multiple images are affirmed but with no order
of arrangement, this book argues for a reintegration of four famous
"pieces" of atonement doctrine through the governing image of
Christ-shaped mosaic. Unlike a photograph in which tiny pixels
present a seamless blending of color and shape, a mosaic allows
each piece to retain its recognizable particularity, while also
integrating them in the service of a single larger image. If one
stands close, one can identify individual squares of glass or tile
that compose the greater picture. And if one steps back, there is
the larger picture to be admired. Yet in the great mosaics of
age-old Christian churches, the goal is not for viewers to
construct the image, as in a puzzle, but to appreciate it. So too
with this mosaic of atonement doctrine. While no one model is set
above or against the others, the book notes particular ways in
which the "pieces"--the feet, heart, head, and hands--mutually
support one another to form a more holistic vision of Christ's
work. "This is my body," Jesus said to his followers, and by
reintegrating these oft-dismembered aspects of atonement, we will
note fresh ways in which it was given for us.
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