Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Atonement for whom?

“It would be simplistic and colonizing to suggest that power determines everything, but we should be alert to the observation that the power a local church possesses shapes what it offers as gospel and atonement. Could it be that we are not reconciled more in this world—among Christians, within the USA, and between countries—because we have shaped our atonement theories to keep our group the same and others out? I believe the answer to that question is unambiguously yes.

There is no reason to pretend otherwise; it is inescapable. We are shaped by the texts of our sacred tradition but we also shape what we read and hear in those sacred texts.”—A Community Called Atonement, page 5

1 comment:

Ted M. Gossard said...

I find this thought quite interesting and intriguing and want to explore it and think it through.

Everyone certainly reads Scripture through the lens of their culture and view of the world. But we need to be open to more, and a widening of our perspective.