The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Christus Victor, a brief case

I wrote a (kinda) brief case for Christus Victor. I would love some love. :wink:

OPENING

I begin with an affirmation to the universal church, that Christ’s death and resurrection is central to all atonement theories. In that, I agree that each atonement theory is grounded in some portion of the meta-narrative of Scripture. This includes the oft-maligned and majority held Penal Substitution Theory and even the Moral Influence Theory held by many within the Emergent crowd.

However, I do think that Christus Victor ought to be our primary lens by which we view atonement theories. I will offer some reasons why, and I do not expect this to cover each point of atonement nor do I plan on answering objections to my view. I simply am giving some reasons as to why Christus Victor should be our primary lens, and not at the exclusion of other theories.

In the first thousand years of church history, Ransom Theory or Christus Victor was the dominant view of atonement. Adherents included Clement of Alexandria and Gregory of Nyssa, who wrote:

When the enemy saw the power, he recognized in Christ a bargain which offered him more than he held. For this reason he chose him as the ransom for those whom he had shut up in death's prison. [1]

splitframeofreference.blogspot.c … -case.html

–Nick

for an early morning read with no caffeine, it all seemed pretty straightforward and well written to me. i like what you say at the start about the Sea.
i think Sobornost has touched on this a bit…the sea embodies the chaos of space. the Hebrews saw God as “withdrawing” in a sense to make “space” for us, and thus chaos and darkness was born by His absence (hopefully Dick will correct me if i’m misquoting him or getting this wrong in some way). in that absense, God created light, and started the ball rolling.

i have issues with the “ransom” theory, but i’ve no problem with the triumphant view of Christ doing battle, in a way, for us…
certainly, it makes more sense than pure penal substitution theory.

I think CV, when viewed holistically, seems to work out as simply the best explanation. Also, a view that can incorporate other views is often quite good.

Thanks for your thoughts!

–Nick