Source: “SACRIFICE AND ATONEMENT: Psychological Motives and Biblical Patterns”, By Stephen Finlan, Fortress Press, 2016.
This podcast explores the concept of atonement, particularly within Christian thought, by tracing its origins in ritual sacrifice and critically examining the often-unacknowledged role of psychology in its interpretation. The author argues that while biblical scholars tend to resist psychological analysis, many implicitly employ it, for example, by describing sacrifice as a "reconciling type of gift." The text posits that atonement's compelling nature stems from common human experiences like "no pain, no gain," and, significantly, from childhood strategies for placating moody parents, suggesting that fear-based theological interpretations often mirror dysfunctional family dynamics. The author aims to analyze atonement chronologically and functionally, investigating its development from biblical passages—like Paul's epistles—to later Christian doctrines, and ultimately emphasizing the crucial distinction between concepts rooted in fear and manipulation versus those emphasizing trust and the freely given love of God.
Topic 1: The Essential Role of Psychology in Interpreting Biblical Texts on Atonement The sources highlight that while many biblical scholars resist applying psychology to ancient texts, often fearing it might reduce profound religious concepts to mere Freudian explanations, they frequently and implicitly use psychological categories in their interpretations. For instance, explaining atoning sacrifices as a "reconciling type of gift" akin to giving flowers implies a psychological motivation related to love and reconciliation. This suggests that despite the reluctance, psychology is already at play in understanding deep-seated religious traditions and practices, which inherently involve intense human feelings. Therefore, it is argued that explicitly acknowledging and becoming more self-critical about these psychological interpretations is crucial for a more responsible and coherent understanding of atonement in both Jewish and Christian thought. The effectiveness of any psychological theory used should be judged by how well it coordinates with biblical studies and aids in comprehending atonement.
Topic 2: Fundamental Biblical Passages and Metaphors of Christian Atonement Christian atonement is broadly understood as the concept that "Christ died for our sins" or as a "sacrifice." This idea is predominantly found in the New Testament Epistles and Revelation. Several key passages are presented to introduce this subject. For example, 1 Corinthians 5:7 states, "Our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed." Similarly, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 emphasizes that "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures." Romans 5:8-10 elaborates on Christ dying for sinners, leading to justification by his blood and reconciliation with God. Galatians 3:13 highlights Christ redeeming from the law's curse by becoming a curse himself. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 describes Christ Jesus as the "one mediator" who "gave himself a ransom for all." Hebrews 1:3 notes he "made purification for sins," and Hebrews 9:13-14 contrasts the purification from animal sacrifices with the superior purification of conscience by Christ's blood. Hebrews 9:26 succinctly states he "appeared once for all... to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself." While these are metaphorical expressions, they draw heavily on Jewish sacrificial concepts such as purification through blood and the idea of ransom or redemption.
Topic 3: The Psychological Compulsion of Atonement in Religious Thought The enduring power of atonement in religious thought, across monotheistic and other traditions, is partly explained by its alignment with common human beliefs about how life works. Principles like "no pain, no gain" and "no free lunch" resonate deeply, leading people to assume that if nothing is free on a material level, the same must apply on a divine level, necessitating a "ransom." Ancient cultures often approached their gods with the same strategies they used in social interactions, including inducement, ingratiation, appeasement, and manipulation. Gift-giving and praise, as seen in various psalms (e.g., Psalm 27:6-7, 9; Psalm 20:3-4), were techniques aimed at eliciting divine attention and securing desired outcomes, reflecting a transactional view where offerings are made to please God and gain favor—a concept likened to a "prosperity gospel."
Topic 4: Diverse Historical and Prophetic Perspectives on Sacrifice and Divine Favor Within the history of religious thought, there have always been theological debates and varying perspectives on sacrifice. Some sought God's favor through offerings, as exemplified by Psalm 20, which links sacrifices to the granting of one's desires if God is pleased. However, from very early times, there were those who challenged this approach. The prophet Samuel, for instance, questioned whether God delights more in burnt offerings and sacrifices than in obedience, asserting that "to obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Sam. 15:22). Other prophets, like Micah, also criticized grandiose displays of piety and excessive sacrifice intended to impress God, asking if the Lord would be pleased with "thousands of rams" or "tens of thousands of rivers of oil" (Micah 6:7). This rejection of manipulative piety finds its culmination in the teachings of Jesus, who offers a radically different view: people should trust God, who freely gives good things to children without needing persuasion, emphasizing that God cannot be manipulated.
Topic 5: The Deep Connection Between God-Concepts and Childhood Parenting Experiences A significant insight presented is that the perceived need to "butter up" God or placate divine anger has a psychological origin in childhood strategies used to manage moody or explosive parents. This perspective suggests a reciprocal relationship: a harsh concept of God often stems from harsh parenting experiences, and conversely, one's understanding of God influences how they approach parenting. The material posits that as parents become less frightening and more nurturing, the concept of God also tends to evolve into a less frightening, more benevolent figure. This aligns with prophetic calls for reasoning together with God rather than fearing consuming anger, and it resonates with Jesus's teachings that a loving God gives freely, similar to how good parents provide for their children, expecting trust rather than groveling.
Topic 6: The Central Ideological Conflict Between Love and Fear in Religious Development Across cultures and throughout the development of religion, the single most crucial ideological struggle is identified as the conflict between love and fear in believers' attitudes toward God. This struggle is portrayed as an active process where divine revelation seeks to communicate a message of trust and love ("perfect love casts out fear") to help love overcome fear. However, human minds act as dense filters, often adapting, assimilating, and distorting revelations to fit pre-existing beliefs, akin to pouring "new wine into old wineskins." Religion, deeply intertwined with human wounds, loves, fears, hopes, and yearnings, carries a long heritage of fear. Unless revelation successfully clarifies religious values, they may remain primitive, expressing more woundedness and fear than healing and love. This fear legacy is evident even in biblical religion, where unintended transgressions could provoke divine anger, instilling fear in believers.
Topic 7: The Distortion of Theology and Love by a Fear-Based Relationship with God A relationship with God characterized by fear inevitably leads to distorted theology and thought. Many religious teachings, even today, present a message that mingles love and fear. The Epistle to the Hebrews, for example, is cited as illustrating this blend, combining exhortations to faithfulness and love with dire warnings of judgment and fiery fury for persistent sin. This mixture raises questions about the confidence of love when overshadowed by threats of punishment. The idea of God as a punishing presence is presented as a reflection of dynamics learned in childhood, where individuals tend to perceive God in ways they learned to perceive their parents. This perspective suggests that brutal symbolism, such as doctrines of hell, blood payment, and sacrificial substitution, resonates with those who have normalized violent retribution and punishment as parental behaviors.
Topic 8: Atonement Doctrines as Reflections of Trauma and Dysfunctional Home Dynamics A major thesis of the study posits that certain atonement concepts are psychologically based on childhood strategies for appeasing angry or "moody" parents through "payment for infractions," or through a proxy. This involves understanding that the idea of "paying for" sins or having someone else "pay for" them often echoes dynamics learned in dysfunctional family settings where love is conditional. The prolonged process of unlearning the idea of payment through suffering is noted. Atonement doctrines are seen to align closely with strategies for coping with emotional trauma and surviving in families where parental love is conditional. While atonement teachers speak of salvation purchased "once for all" through sacrifice, the psychological reality often reflects chronic stress, leading to repeated cycles of guilt, confession, repentance, and the perceived need for penance or penalty, suggesting that restoration is not free but acquired through suffering. It is argued that the message of an innocent Son of God being crucified to pay for sins might deepen, rather than reduce, anxiety.
Topic 9: The Paradoxical Complexity of Christian Atonement Christian atonement is portrayed as a paradoxical and intricate blend of noble aspirations and underlying religious fear. At its surface, it embodies the love of God. However, at a deeper, unconscious level, it is seen as a coping mechanism for dealing with perceived parental rage. Consequently, atonement doctrine is described as being fueled by anxiety, even while it simultaneously expresses love, albeit a love that is often frustrated and circumscribed by conditions. This complex interplay results in atonement thinking that commingles personal need, fear, and an idealized hope, predicated on the assumption of a God who is both violent and loving. The sacrificial interpretation of Jesus's death integrates ancient ideas of ritual purification and ransoming, spiritualizing them with concepts of transformation and grace. The ultimate outcome is a complicated mix of anxiety, guilt, and love. The text differentiates that atonement focused on ransom or substitution reflects dysfunctional home dynamics, whereas an emphasis on attunement with God's will and love aligns with healthy psychology within a healthy family.
Topic 10: The Study's Methodological Approach and Critique of Atonement Interpretations The study employs both a chronological and a functional dimension to thoroughly explore atonement ideas. The chronological aspect examines the historical ancestry and development of these ideas from Old Testament concepts to New Testament images and subsequent Christian beliefs. The functional dimension delves into the perceived needs that atonement was believed to fulfill, thus illuminating the psychological factors, even if motives are unconscious or rationalized. The study begins by examining the two main functions of sacrifice in the Old Testament: purification and compensation, integrating psychological insights where relevant. It dedicates a chapter entirely to psychological ideas, including attachment theory, before moving to the New Testament sources of atonement thinking, Paul and Hebrews, and then tracing the historical development of concepts in Christian history. Crucially, each biblical or historical chapter concludes by comparing the discussed beliefs and practices with the teachings and approach of Jesus. The study also critically addresses how later popular interpretations, such as penal substitutionary atonement, can exaggerate and distort biblical statements, particularly those of Paul, by adding ideas not found in the original texts (e.g., Christ being rightly punished as a "transgressor") while ignoring other aspects of Pauline teaching, like the ability to do God's will or imitate Christ. However, it acknowledges that the "seeds" of these later popular ideas are often discernible in the biblical authors themselves. A key contribution of the study is the assertion that some atonement concepts are psychologically rooted in the strategy of assuaging angry parents through payment via suffering.