The New Adam (Ron Highfield) - A Review
THE NEW ADAM: What the Early Church Can Teach Evangelicals (and Liberals) about the Atonement. By Ron Highfield. Foreword by Thomas H. Olbricht. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2021. Xxi + 218 pages.
Paul
told the Corinthians he held to be of first importance that "Christ died
for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and
that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures" (1Cor. 15:3-4). He also mentions the witnesses to this reality, beginning with Cephas
(Peter), confirming the truth of his message. Thus, the death and resurrection
are important to the Christian message, but how should understand these events,
especially Jesus’ death on the cross. How did his death impact our sins? The
answer to that question serves as a foundation for Paul's message of salvation,
but how? The doctrinal category under which this discussion falls is atonement.
History shows that there’s more than one interpretation of atonement theory, so
which one is correct? What does that mean for us?
Many
books have been written about the atonement, often arguing for a particular
theory. In The New Adam, theologian Ron Highfield addresses to question
of which theory might work best by taking us back to the early church to see what
early Christians had to say about such things. Perhaps these Christians have
better answers than the ones we’ve been embracing in modern times. Before we
get to the heart of the book, I need to introduce the author. Highfield is a Professor
of Religion at Pepperdine University. Like the university he serves, he is
Church of Christ, which is a branch of the Stone Campbell Movement, a movement
of which my denomination—Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is also a
branch. Church of Christ folks put a lot of emphasis on the New Testament and
early Christian thought, so he’s well equipped to lead us in this conversation.
I'm
going to preface the review by jumping to the end of the book, where Highfield
points out that atonement theories rarely if ever prove effective as a means of
witnessing to the Christian faith. When it comes to connecting the cross to
forgiveness, "these theories presented in detail they receive them at best
as curiosities that do little to increase their awareness of divine forgiveness."
It might be useful for some to know these theories, but ultimately, he suggests
that when we share faith, keep it simple and tell the story of Jesus (pp.
188-190).
With
this warning that detailed explanations of the atonement won't get us very far
in witnessing to the Christian faith— neither will making a big deal about how
wretched we are (people really aren’t interested in knowing that they are
horrible sinners who deserve to go to hell)—the Pepperdine University
theologian offers us a take on the atonement question. With this caveat,
Highfield reminds us that we seem to know that there are parts of our lives
that can use some divine forgiveness, however that takes place. That is good
news, even if the theories are rarely helpful.
If they
are not an effective evangelistic tool, what do we do with these atonement
theories? Do we need to bother defining them? The answer is yes, at least for
those who are tasked with answering questions about how Jesus’ death influences
our lives. With that in mind, Highfield divides the book into three parts. The
first section describes the human condition. He suggests that we humans experience
both greatness and wretchedness (in other words we’re not totally depraved). He
looks at the question of our situation in life by engaging in conversation with
Augustine, Blaise Pascal, and Soren Kierkegaard. You might call this a basic
overview of our situation in life.
Part
Two explores the same territory, only Highfield uses biblical categories. One
chapter is titled "Destined for Glory: The Biblical View of Human
Greatness." In other words, Highfield speaks to our original situation.
Then in chapter four, titled "Into a Distant Country" he explores the
biblical view of human wretchedness." In other words, how does sin affect
who we are, considering that God created humanity as good? I should note that
in all of this, Highfield embraces Irenaeus' doctrine of recapitulation, a
doctrine I have long found attractive.
Having
laid out the human condition, noting that we're not totally depraved. We're
marred by sin, but not totally. There is still good in us. This leads us to the
main part of the book, Part Three, which focuses on Christian Soteriology.
Interestingly, Highfield begins with the resurrection before he moves to the
death of Jesus. This move is important because atonement theory focuses on the
cross, not the resurrection, and yet Highfield turns the conversation on its
head. While Jesus’ death comes first, the meaning of that death is defined by
the resurrection. So, only after exploring the resurrection, does Highfield
turn to Jesus' death. He notes that it was early in Christian history that the
cross became the central symbol of the faith. This is especially true in
Western Christianity. This is a problem, as we'll see.
Since
Penal Substitution Theory is highly popular in western Protestant communities,
Highfield devotes chapters seven and eight to forms of penal substitution. He
starts with the classic Protestant theory as developed by the Reformers and that
leans on Anselm. Before he gets to PSA, he briefly outlines seven basic atonement
theories starting with the ransom theory. While all were available to the
Reformers, penal substitution became the go-to theory for Protestants. With
that in mind, in chapter seven, he looks at a variety of interpreters from the
Reformers to post-reformation theologians such as Francis Turretin. Then he
looks at Jonathan Edwards and Charles Hodge. Having introduced the traditional
position in chapter seven, in chapter eight he speaks to contemporary
evangelical theorists, including J. I. Packer, Wayne Grudem, and Millard
Erickson. These two chapters give us a detailed picture of this classic and
popular description of the cross. There are, however, significant problems with
this idea. In part, it has to do with the question of whether the punishment
fits the crime. Beyond this question is the question of whether this theory
offers a rather negative view of God, who, according to the theory, demands the
death of the Son in payment of a debt. It's a simple theory, but it also offers
a rather negative view of God. Part of the problem is the belief that we should
be given our due. In other words, sin is an offense against God, it deserves
the death penalty, and someone's got to pay. So why not Jesus? The problem is
that, according to Highfield, this theory divides justice from love in Christ.
If the
evangelical solution, penal substitution, is problematic, the same is true of
the liberal embrace of "Jesus as Example and Inspiration" (ch. 9).
Although Peter Abelard is the classic proponent of moral influence theory,
Highfield brings liberal theologians from Friedrich Schleiermacher to Marcus Borg
into the conversation. Highfield's concern concerns the nature of liberal
Christology. He understands why liberals have let go of traditional
Christologies, but he finds that this turn doesn't resolve the problem of our
relationship with God. In essence, what happens here is that divine action in
the world is largely ruled out and for Highfield, that's a nonstarter. He asks
the question of why liberalism is “so hesitant to make assertion is about real,
effective divine action in the world?” The answer is found in liberalism’s
desire to “insulate itself from rational critique of divine causal actions.”
So, as he reads liberal theologians, who seem to desire to avoid being
marginalized, have chosen moral influence over divine action (p. 144). Yet, the
question remains, where is God in all this? This has been my question as well.
If PSA
and Moral Influence are found wanting, where might we turn? Highfield believes
that the answer lies in early Christian thought, beginning with Irenaeus. If we
start Irenaeus’ doctrine of recapitulation, then Jesus becomes the source of a new
beginning. The goal is theosis through recapitulation. For Irenaeus,
Jesus saves/reconciles us by going through every stage of human existence from
birth to death (in this case death on a cross). In other words, Jesus’s life
undoes Adam's mistakes. As Jesus does this, he opens the way for theosis
(deification), which ultimately involves union with God in Christ. Regarding theosis,
Highfield notes that it involves participating in the divine nature. While he starts
with Irenaeus, he works forward in time, bringing such figures as Clement of
Alexandria, Athanasius, the Cappadocians, Maximus the Confessor, and others
into the conversation. As you’ll note, these are all eastern theologians. The
solution, it would seem, is to look east. With that in mind, we can embrace the
goal of our destiny leading to participation in the divine nature (that is the divine
energies and not divine essence, which is transcendent and unknowable). The
good news that can be offered to the world is that we can experience oneness
with God in this life. At least that's the goal.
With
this alternative to the two reigning Protestant visions of atonement in mind, Highfield
speaks briefly about how we preach Christ. This is the reason for the book. He
wants to provide us with a way of understanding theology that can “assist the
church in helping people living today understand the message of salvation
through Jesus Christ in a way that is true to the original gospel, resonates
with their experience, and strikes them as good news?” So, what is the message?
Well, it involves the human condition—we’re both great and wretched. It also
involves a message of salvation in Christ. So, as we make this message known,
don’t start with telling them they’re horrible sinners. People might admit to
being sinners, but few if any believe they hate God. The basic message of penal
substitution is simple but misleading. The key here is to keep the message
simple, so rather than emphasizing atonement, let people know that God loves
them and in doing so tell the story of Jesus. In other words, let people know
that “in Jesus, our humanity has been united to God, glorified, and made
immortal” (pp. 189-190).
This
all seems like good news that might be well received by people seeking a sense
of forgiveness for areas of concern in their lives as well as new beginnings
that lead to wholeness in their lives. That’s a lot more attractive than
hearing about sinners in the hands of an angry God who is willing to sacrifice
the son, sort of like kicking the dog instead of beating the kid. When it comes
to the heart of the book, my attraction to both recapitulation and theosis
makes Highfield's reading of the alternatives to the reigning Protestant
theories very helpful. While this is a scholarly book, it’s accessible to a
theologically sophisticated lay audience. It should prove very helpful to
clergy who seek ways of making the good news of Jesus worth hearing. Yes,
preachers will benefit from pondering the possibilities laid out here in
Highfield’s The New Adam. That might also prove to be good news for
congregations.
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