In 2023, a little book by a prominent Christian communicator shook the evangelical world. Steve Chalke stated in “The Lost Message of Jesus” that the doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement if true would amount to “cosmic child abuse.”[1] It’s important to be clear about what he wasn’t saying. Chalke did not claim that the atonement… Continue reading Penal Substitution: Steve Chalke and the Lost Message of Jesus, 20 years on
Tag: Alan Mann
When atonement is absent
I find Ian McEwan’s novel “Atonement” particularly bleak. It’s the story of a girl who witnesses a crime, Bryony sees her cousin Lola being assaulted and raped. She is convinced the assailant is the family gardener, Robbie and so he is falsely accused, arrested and convicted. Her error combined with her self-importance is the cause… Continue reading When atonement is absent