Friday 8 April 2011

Mark Galli on the Problem with Christus Victor


Mark Galli, ‘The Problem with Christus Victor: An increasingly popular view of the atonement forces the question: What are we saved from?’, Christianity Today (7 April 2011).


Here’s a helpful piece from Mark Galli which reflects on the ‘Christus victor’ view of the atonement being flavour of the moment.


Not that it’s not in Scripture, of course, or even that it’s not significant, but he’s ‘concerned at the rising popularity of Christus Victor when it comes at the expense of substitution’ (his italics).


Although Christus victor highlights the cosmic nature of atonement, its view of humanity ‘emphasizes not our guilt but our victimhood’.


‘I have noticed – and do tell me if you see otherwise – that in general those who publically champion Christus Victor don’t pepper their talks and prayers with personal guilt for sin or the need for divine forgiveness. By way of contrast, note the oldest advocates of Christus Victor, the Eastern Orthodox. Personal sin and guilt, and the consequent wrath of God, regularly weave themselves into their prayers... But for some reason, when the Christus Victor theory is extolled by Protestants today, personal sin and guilt take a back seat. Way back sometimes.’


He concludes:


‘In my view, more than ever in our day, we need Christus Vicarious.’

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