Advent Christian Formation

We welcome guest presenter, the Rev'd Rob Morpeth, retired Canon for Mission Support in the Diocese of Alabama, to lead our final discussion on Christian theories of atonement, ancient and modern, in order to understand the nature of the saving work of Jesus. Join us at 9:15 am in Trinity Commons!

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The old steeple of the protestant church in the distance was done up in the latest, at least at the time it was installed anyway, neon signage. To a lost world it beckoned in festive colors the hopeful words, “Jesus Saves.” In the gathering twilight it seemed reassuring and confident but only a moment of reflection began to cloud its light in my world. From what? How? Whom? Even why. Questions arose with just the initial scratch of my complacent faith.

For most Christians this short phrase forms the core of the Christian message, but rarely do we scratch its surface. Do we know that Christianity has, at minimum, four explanations of the saving work of Jesus and that new ones are emerging? Do we know that the most popular explanation today in western Christianity grew out of reflections by the Archbishop of Canterbury around 1000 A.D. and was shaped by the emerging western system of justice? Are we aware that this story differs from what most Orthodox Christians believe? Would or should we agree with one preacher heard recently on the radio proclaiming that Jesus came solely to die? Do you know the Apostle Paul offered two different explanations of the saving work of Jesus in the New Testament? Is there some way to explain the truth that Jesus saves without so much violence.

The Rev’d Rob Morpeth