In our second ASK Podcast, we discuss with Greg Sheridan his chapter on the death of Christ.
Why begin the book with this? What does it mean? Was CS Lewis right about the atonement? Do you believe in the Virgin Birth? What about miracles? Historical evidence? Biblical scholarship? Why did Jesus die? Including Evelyn Waugh, GK Chesterton, Barth, Aquinas, Covid and the Cross; evangelical Catholicism, and more….
Now on Spotify…..
A New Podcast, a Great Book and a Fascinating Journalist
What a wonderful insight into Greg Sheridan , his book , but most of all the central touching references to the importance of the cross and death of Jesus .
Gal Ch3 v28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Col Ch3 v11
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
As , being of the Reformed faith I have always hesitated in reading what I see as a “Roman” publication . This guy, however is spot on ! I will not only buy his book but I would also endorse it as a must read , whether you are professing Catholic , or Protestant . More so, If you consider yourself an Atheist .
I agree with Greg that the important thing is to know that Christ died to save us from our sins and that how exactly he did that is much less important. There may, however, be some people wondering how the Catholic doctrine of the Atonement differes from the Reformed doctrine. If so, there is an explanation here:
https://www.calledtocommunion.com/2010/04/catholic-and-reformed-conceptions-of-the-atonement/
The article is written by Bryan Cross, a Catholic who was, previously, a member of the Reformed faith so when he outlines the difference he is coming from a background where he has knowledge of the Reformed understanding.
Thanks for the article – but it is not helpful. The writer presents a caricature of the Reformed view – and a limited view of the Catholic view – Given that Augustine and Aquinus also speak of the wrath of God being poured out on Christ the writer is either saying that he knows better that these Catholic Fathers or he just doesn’t know…
David, could you give references please to Augustine and Aquinas. Thanks
Augustine argues that Christ is our substitute being punished for our sins – he is ‘the atoning sacrifice turning away the wrath of God”…..several times he references this – for example here in his work On The Trinity (15) :“For then the blood, since it was His who had no sin at all, was poured out for the remission of our sins.” Fro Acquinas’s views go to his Summa Theologicae section 3 question 46.
Thank you
I have no idea whether it is correct or not to say that the writer presents a caricature of the Reformed view. I have no idea whether it is correct or not to say that the writer provides a limited view of the Catholic view. But here’s a suggestion. The article was written in 2010 but there are comments right up to 2020. You could provide a comment of your own to back up what you have briefly said here so that Bryan Cross could respond to it. I would be interested in his response, although I probably won’t understand it.
It might, however, be of some value to read some of the footnotes to Bryan Cross’s article:
Of course in the Reformed system Christ also self-sacrificially loves the Father. But what effects propitiation in the Reformed system is the complete pouring out of God’s wrath upon the Son. In Catholic doctrine, by contrast, God does not pour out His wrath for our sins onto His Son, and what effects propitiation is Christ’s positive gift of love to the Father. Hence the illustration depicts what effects propitiation in the respective theological systems. It is not intended to be an exhaustive illustration of all that is going on during Christ’s Passion. [↩]
See ST III Q.47 a.3 ad 2 [↩]
For a fuller explanation of what Christ did for us through His Passion, according to St Thomas Aquinas, see “Aquinas and Trent 6.” [↩]
Gal 3:13 [↩]
Contra Faustus, XIV. [↩]
For additional reading on the Catholic understanding of the atonement see Philippe De La Trinitaté’s What is Redemption?, and Jean Rivière’s The Doctrine of the Atonement Volume 1 and Volume 2. [↩