Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes and challenges the Christian approach to atonement, using Michael M. Winter's treatise "The Atonement" as the basis for the argument. First, the paper gives an overview of atonement and in particular the Christian aspects of this act. Then, it examines Winter's outlook and how it challenges traditional Christian dogma. According to the review, Winter successfully describes atonement and its relationships to the ideation of sacrifice and Christ's death. The paper concludes by stating that Winter creates an interesting thesis and supports it well. His book is well cited from the Old and New Testament as well as from other's perspective, and recommended for lay readers.

From the Paper:

"In the first chapter, the author wishing to dispense off with the "Preliminaries" starts out by challenging the and most believed assertion, that the degree of suffering that Christ faced during his trial, crucifixion and death bore a direct correlation to the amount of suffering in the world. He does not believe that Christ should have suffered as much. This is controversial and perhaps, paradoxical. Winter supports this assertion as a way of redefining atonement. He uses examples from both the Old and New Testament delving often into the prophecies of Isaiah as well as the epistles of Paul to show that the writers in the bible were very precise in how they defined atonement. The word atonement and associated words such as grace, salvation and redemption had been bastardized to a point that it was akin to a pop-theology construct..."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Kent, W. (1907). Doctrine of the Atonement. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved March 22, 2009 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02055a.htm
• Winter, Michael. (1995) The Atonement. In. Problems in Theology. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press.

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