Source: “SACRIFICE AND ATONEMENT: Psychological Motives and Biblical Patterns”, By Stephen Finlan, Fortress Press, 2016.
This podcast discussion critically examines the concept of propitiation, particularly in Christian atonement theology, arguing that it often stems from pagan or primitive religious ideas of appeasing a demanding deity. The author suggests that historical figures like Horace Bushnell and P.T. Forsyth offered "halfway concepts" of self-propitiation, which subtly moved away from the idea of God needing to be satisfied by sacrifice, similar to how the idea of divine vengeance evolved. Ultimately, the text posits that Christ's death should be understood as a demonstration of God's love and a model for spiritual freedom and nonviolence, rather than a necessary payment to an angry God. It concludes that any doctrine requiring sacrifice for salvation is fundamentally alien to Jesus' teachings, advocating for a direct, fear-free relationship with a loving God who offers forgiveness freely.
Topic 1 Propitiation is identified as a particularly problematic idea associated with atonement. The sources suggest that the early church, upon separating from its Jewish heritage, may have incorporated pagan concepts of propitiation and aversion. This influence is attributed to converts from pagan backgrounds where propitiation was a fundamental understanding of sacrifice. While propitiatory thinking was more prevalent in Greco-Roman religions, it was also present in Hebrew religion, often being challenged by prophets. Even the prophet of Nazareth, Jesus, supported and quoted anti-sacrificial passages. Despite this, for centuries, early Christianity allowed manipulative sacrificial ideas to exist alongside more advanced spiritual concepts, noting that both have roots in Jewish and gentile traditions. Ultimately, it is argued that there is no need for propitiation or appeasement at the divine level.
Topic 2 The sources discuss the concept of "halfway concepts" in theological reflection, particularly in the context of atonement and propitiation. For two millennia, Christians have grappled with complex ideas such as atonement, propitiation, forgiveness, moral character, and spiritual growth. Different theologians, like Anselm and Abelard, identified distinct issues within the atonement framework. The idea of a "halfway concept" describes a paradoxical rephrasing of an idea that a thinker is unconsciously moving towards rejecting but is not yet ready to discard entirely. Horace Bushnell's concept of God's "self-propitiation"—where real forgiveness involves a divine taking on of suffering for relationship restoration—is presented as one such example. Similarly, P. T. Forsyth's notion of "A holy God self-atoned in Christ... gave his Son as a propitiation to His own holiness" is seen as another paradoxical expression. These concepts, though seemingly absurd, serve as a transitional phase, reinterpreting and mystifying terms by transferring them to God's realm, representing humanity's slow progress towards letting go of propitiation altogether. This process is paralleled with how believers learned to relinquish vengeance by handing it over to God, which is a step towards understanding that God is not vengeful.
Topic 3 The sources offer several positive interpretations of Christ's death, emphasizing what it can mean, as opposed to problematic traditional views. It is affirmed that "Christ died for all humanity," but this should not be understood as God being "paid off," "soothed," "mollified," or sin being "magically cleansed." Instead, Christ's death can be understood as a heroic act that bought time for his apostles, thereby ensuring the rapid spread of the gospel. It was a profound demonstration of the greatest love, mirroring the act of laying down one's life for friends. His death served as a further powerful display of the love upon which he founded his community. Furthermore, Jesus' death was a stand for spiritual freedom; he refused to compromise with coercive religious authorities, exposing their pride and cruelty. He championed the "guiltless," the "meek," and the humble, winning religious freedom for humanity. His unwavering stance against corrupt authorities and his truth-telling make him a perpetual source of reform and liberation from religious or ideological enslavement, reminding believers that they are children in God's household, not slaves. His death also demonstrated how God triumphs through nonviolence, inspiring a change of heart in observers and leading to the continued growth of his movement even amidst persecution. Ultimately, Jesus died "for us" in the same way he lived and taught for us—to continuously reveal truth about God, love, and salvation, offering comfort and inspiration.
Topic 4 Conversely, the sources strongly reject certain manipulative and magical interpretations of Christ's death. It is deemed problematic to suggest that Jesus' death purchased or obtained something that could not have been attained otherwise. Such a belief is characterized as "magical and morbid thinking," built on the assumption that God is cruel or irrational and therefore requires appeasement. This perspective, it is argued, reflects human psychological damage rather than divine attitudes. The idea of God as judgmental and strict is acknowledged as a possible by-product of serious monotheism striving in an immoral world. However, this view is presented as an outdated phase of religious thought that contradicts Jesus' revelation of a loving Father. Jesus' own attitude toward the Father, embodied in sayings like "Do not fear, only believe" and "Serve him without fear," underscores that God does not demand fear or appeasement.
Topic 5 A significant critique presented in the sources is that sacrifice, particularly in its traditional understanding, is a primitive, selfish, and manipulative phase of religious development that needs to be outgrown. Most contemporary scholars and theologians, it is noted, find the idea of manipulating God repulsive and generally argue against propitiation. While some deny its presence in the Bible or confine it to older Old Testament layers, the author takes a more radical stance, asserting that retaining the compensatory or magical power of sacrifice, even metaphorically, hinders spiritual progress. The inherent problem with sacrifice, whether as a purification system or a payment in a system of exchange with the deity, is its exclusionary, magical, manipulative, and materialistic nature. Jesus, understanding this level of human religiosity, patiently tried to elevate people to a more mature relationship with God, one akin to children with healthy and loving parents, where manipulation is unnecessary because of God's inherent generosity.
Topic 6 The sources thoroughly detail how atonement theology, despite its proponents' good intentions, inherently undermines monotheism and distorts God's character. Several specific problems are identified: First, the doctrine that God had to punish someone is seen as a limitation on God's freedom. Second, the notion that God would allow an unjust act to "pay" for all other unjust actions undermines God's fundamental goodness. Third, the idea that the Son embodies mercy while the Father embodies stern justice is argued to disintegrate the unity of purpose within the Trinity. True Trinitarian monotheism, it asserts, requires perfect unity of purpose among the persons of the Trinity; without it, the concept devolves into polytheism. Atonement theology is labeled "crazy-making theology" because it depicts a sacrifice-demanding God who is not free to forgive. This framework, it is argued, portrays the Son as admirable but renders the Father despicable or pitiable. Furthermore, this primitive legacy of sacrificial theology perpetuates the victimization of tenderhearted individuals by those who are strict and judgmental.
Topic 7 A core theme is the assertion that Jesus' teachings on salvation and forgiveness are fundamentally distinct from concepts requiring sacrifice or payment. Any doctrine that makes salvation dependent on a sacrifice, a noble death, or a ritual cleansing is described as alien to Jesus' message. For Jesus, salvation and wholeness are freely available without any mediating transaction or payment. Instead, faith itself is presented as the saving factor, meaning a trusting reliance on God's generosity. God already loves humanity, fills the hungry, and reveals divinity to the pure in heart. Forgiveness, in Jesus' teachings, is conditioned solely by one's willingness to repent and to forgive others. The sources emphasize that there is no suggestion in Jesus' teachings that anything beyond repentance is necessary for salvation—no need for his actual death, belief in its atoning efficacy, or church membership. It is considered contrary to Jesus' teachings and personal experience to suggest that God ever withheld love until a debt was satisfied, viewing such notions as embarrassing vestiges from humanity's spiritual childhood.
Topic 8 The sources highlight Jesus' revelation of the true nature of God as a loving Father, contrasting it sharply with the strict, judgmental image often associated with sacrificial theology. The idea of God as judgmental and strict is described as an "inevitable by-product" of early serious monotheism struggling in an immoral world, but it is explicitly stated that this phase of religious thinking is inconsistent with what Jesus revealed. Jesus' own attitude toward the Father is one of trust and freedom from fear, embodied in sayings like "Do not fear, only believe" and "Serve him without fear." This portrayal of God emphasizes God's generosity and good pleasure in giving the kingdom, implying no need for human manipulation or appeasement. God, it is argued, already loves us and has never required ritual victims, whether animal or human. These demands are seen as outdated concepts from a "childhood of the race" that become increasingly difficult to defend.
Topic 9 A crucial argument made is the necessity of detaching the concept of salvation from the crucifixion event itself. The sources contend that there has been an excessive period of "covering up the message of Jesus with a mythology about his death." This mythology, it is stated, focuses on a death that was actually caused by Jesus' enemies. By doing so, "his enemies—the hypocrites, the power brokers, the conductors of sacrifice—to some degree have been allowed to set the agenda." The central message is that people need to be "saved from cruel doctrine." The ultimate assertion is that "God saves us in spite of the crucifixion, not because of it," emphasizing that the act of crucifixion was a tragic consequence of human actions rather than a divinely ordained prerequisite for salvation.
Topic 10 The sources include a strong critique of the continued prevalence of sacrificial language in modern Christian practice, specifically in liturgies and hymns. It is noted with concern that sacrificial thinking often dominates these forms of worship, even when pastors themselves no longer believe the underlying concepts. The author poses a direct question about the desire to "continue rhapsodizing a bloody theology in our hymns." Examples of such problematic hymn lyrics are provided, such as "Draw me nearer... blessed Lord, to thy precious, bleeding side" and "O purest fountain, welling from out the Savior's side!" The sources assert that this type of thinking is increasingly being exposed as ethically weak and psychologically immature, implying a need for a shift away from such imagery and language in Christian worship.