THE GLORY OF THE ATONEMENT

Written by Charles E. Hill and Frank A. James III (eds) Reviewed By Anna Robbins

Even at the time of writing this review, The Glory of the Atonement is not a new book. In fact, many readers of Themelios already may have a volume on their shelves. But in case they do not, and have somehow missed the publication of this most useful material, it merits being brought to their attention. Written as a collection of essays on various aspects of atonement theology, and published as a textbook in honour of scholar Roger Nicole, its appearance coincided helpfully with some of the debates about the atonement that have been engaged by evangelicals in recent years.

The articles are organised under three headings, each with its own succinct introduction: Atonement in the Old and New Testaments; Atonement in Church History; Atonement in the Life of the Christian and the Church. The authors constitute and impressive, though not overly diverse, assembly of evangelical scholarship. It is important to note that Nicole himself, who offers a postscript at the end, bears a view of limited atonement that most of the assembled scholarship would respect, if not necessarily support outright. It is not surprising, therefore, that much of the material comes to the aid of those who understand the biblical portrayal of the atonement as substitutionary in nature.

The Old Testament articles are largely technical, though accessible. They cover the theme of atonement in the Pentateuch, in Psalm 51, and not surprisingly, Isaiah 53. In this latter article, J. Alan Groves argues that the chapter portrays a vicarious bearing of guilt, to the point of death. Through very straightforward argumentation drawn from careful exegetical work, he proposes ‘that atonement is best understood as made by an act that purifies something in such a manner that the outbreak of Yahweh’s holy wrath is either arrested or prevented’ (66). Isaiah speaks of an extraordinary means of salvation through the sacrifice of the Servant, whose humanness becomes ‘the chief stumbling block’ (68). Despite its shocking nature, this atonement is portrayed as the only possible means of purification for Israel.

The New Testament articles highlight the self-awareness of Jesus in the continuity or purpose in the atonement and our ongoing responsibility for its proclamation; the nature of limited atonement in Johannine literature; Paul’s understanding of law and its relevance for the atonement through justification by faith in Romans 3 (unsurprisingly Carson); Paul‘s understanding of atonement as substitutionary; amongst others on Hebrews; James, Peter and Jude; and Revelation.

Historical perspectives open up further theological implications with articles that range through a variety of Christian thought, from Augustine’s preaching (Stanley Rosenberg) to Luther (Timothy George) and Calvin’s theology (Henri Blocher). They move into the contemporary realm with a consideration of Barth’s perspective and what was, for this reader, the highlight of the book: Kevin Vanhoozer’s ‘Atonement in Postmodernity’. Vanhoozer engages in dialogue with postmodern objections to the atonement and proposes elements of the doctrine that might provide helpful starting points for further contemporary discussion. There follows a couple of brief, practical applications to the life of the Christian, and the Church, by J. I. Packer and Sinclair Ferguson, and the volume is rounded off with Nicole’s postscript on penal substitution.

Overall, this is a timely resource for those who would seek to understand several of the biblical and theological dimensions of the atonement, and some of the debates surrounding the doctrine. Whether or not one agrees with the basic assumptions, arguments and conclusions of the authors is no barrier to benefiting immensely from this book, which may well be found more frequently on the desk than on the shelf.


Anna Robbins

London School of Theology