Why Did Jesus Die and What Does That Have to Do with Me? (Fred R. Anderson) -- A Review


WHY DID JESUS DIE AND WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ME? A Biblical and Sacramental Understanding of Atonement. By Fred R. Anderson. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2022. Xvii + 330 pages.

                Standing at the center of the Christian confession of faith is the death and resurrection of Jesus. As one reads through the New Testament, one finds significant discussions of the cross and its meaning. The question that continually gets raised in the New Testament and beyond concerns what Jesus' death has to do with us. Was he a political revolutionary who got executed by the Romans whose followers built a new religion around him? Did he die for our sins, as texts in the New Testament suggest? In doing so did he take upon himself our sins, so that he bore our divinely authorized punishment? Theologians have been debating these kinds of questions for two millennia. We often categorize these discussions and debates as expressions of one or more atonement theories. While penal substitution (Jesus bore our punishment so we would not have to bear it) has been a favorite among Protestants, it's not the only option.

                Among the many who have attempted to engage the concept of atonement is Fred R. Anderson, pastor emeritus of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City. The title of this book is—Why Did Jesus Die and What Does That Have to Dowith Me?suggests that the author has undertaken a challenge that has bedeviled theologians through the centuries. Thus, in the course of the book, Anderson ranges across significant territory asking the question of the meaning of Christ’s death on the cross. More specifically, he wants to explore the second part of the title— “What does that have to do with me?” After all, that is what gets the most attention in explorations of this topic. The subtitle reminds us that even as Anderson is interested in what happens on the cross, he’s also interested in the sacramental connection to the cross. Thus, he gives significant attention to the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist.

                Anderson tells us that the book originated with a question posed to him by a parishioner as they drove to a board meeting of an organization of which they were both trustees. That question had to do with the relationship between the cross and his salvation. Anderson made it clear that the answer is rather complicated as there has never been just one authoritative answer. Nevertheless, the answer might be complicated, but it does involve Jesus’ death on the cross. In other words, it involves some form of atonement theory. In this book, Anderson seeks to answer his friend's question by exploring the various atonement theories and their implications. He writes that "atonement is about much more than the cross and casts a net so wide it is safe to say that no aspect of the Christian faith is left untouched by it." (p. 3). That is why Anderson roams across a great deal of territory, including definitions of sin, original sin, the nature of evil, the identity of Satan, and more. As for the intended audience of this book, Anderson suggests that he has written for a large cross-section of people ranging from working pastors to lay persons and everyone in between. He has in mind specifically the members of the congregations he's served as well as those who have left the church but not Jesus.

                After laying out the question of the atonement in Chapter 1, Anderson moves in Chapter 2 to what he believes is the origin of the story of the cross and salvation, and that is Jesus’ Passover celebration.  That is because the discussion of the cross begins in earnest at the meal we call the Last Supper, during which Jesus applies to himself what Anderson terms a New Passover. That leads to a discussion of the various passages in the Gospels and in Paul's letters (primarily 1 Corinthians 11), where this meal is discussed.

                From that initial biblical discussion, we move to a discussion in chapter 3 of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, both as they were understood/practiced in the ancient church and are practiced today. He also spends time looking at the creeds, which have sacramental connections. He moves through history, showing the development of how the sacraments came to be understood, including the medieval debates over transubstantiation, that led to official Catholic doctrine. From there the Reformation response (rejection of transubstantiation), including Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin. From the Reformation, we move forward to the present, including the convergence document from the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches—the Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry Document. This chapter seeks to connect the discussion of the atonement to sacramental theology, something that Anderson has a special interest in.

                The question taken up in Chapter 4 has to do with why we need atonement. He asks what the problem is that led to the development of this concept. The problem is sin. In answer to this question, Anderson begins with the Creation stories of Genesis 1 and 2 and then brings in the Fall in Genesis 3. The biblical story speaks to God's work to undo that event, which begins with the call of Abraham. Since sacrificial language is often part of the discussion of atonement, Anderson devotes Chapter 5 to a discussion of the place of sacrifice in Israel's life and places it in the context of sacrificial practice in the Ancient Near East. What he makes clear, after exploring every aspect of sacrificial practice and theology, is that in Jewish/Israelite perspective, it has nothing to do with the appeasement of divine wrath.

                Now we turn to the question taken up in Chapter 6, which has to do with the New Testament discussion of Jesus' view of sacrifice and the application of sacrificial language to the death of Jesus. Anderson acknowledges both that as a faithful Jew Jesus would have offered sacrifices and that Jesus never speaks of himself in the Gospels directly using sacrificial language. Interestingly, Anderson suggests that in the New Testament Jesus is most often understood not as the atoning sacrifice but as the place of atonement. Not only is he the possible expiation for sin, but his blood carries life to us. For the most part, in the New Testament sacrificial language is metaphorical, but things change as the Christian community moves into the second century.

                In Chapter 7, Anderson starts looking at the various atonement theories, beginning with the post-apostolic church. In this chapter, he takes the conversation through the Reformation. Thus, he discusses Ireneaus' intriguing recapitulation theory, Anselm's satisfaction model, and Abelard's moral example model. The chapter continues the discussion with the views of the Reformers—Luther and Calvin—focusing on the emergence of penal substitution. While this was being formulated, questions emerged as to who the recipient was. Thus, Arminius and the Remonstrants argued for universal atonement (not universal salvation). Then there is the Moral Government theory of Hugo Grotius, in which he argued that Jesus didn't suffer punishment on our behalf, but that his death expressed God's displeasure for sin, thereby inviting us to embrace God's grace.

                Chapter 8 extends the conversation about the various atonement theories, beginning with the  Enlightenment and taking the discussion to the early Twentieth century. Thus, he shares the views of Friedrich Schleiermacher, Charles Hodge, John McLeod Campbell, Soren Kierkegaard, Horace Bushnell, and Walter Rauschenbusch, among others. He also takes note of the views of German theologians such as Adolph von Harnack, Ernst Troestch, and Albert Schweitzer, as well as the Swedish theologian Gustav Aulen, who sought to reclaim the earlier Christus Victor theory. Then in Chapter 9, he focuses on various twentieth-century theologians, beginning with Donald M. Baillie, who brought the incarnation back into the conversation. From there we move to Karl Barth, T.F. Torrance, and Jürgen Moltmann. He closes that chapter with a discussion of the resurrection, through which God transforms the world into the New Creation. Thus, even as the cross divided God from God, the resurrection “unites God with God in the most intimate fellowship.” While the cross occurred on Good Friday, the resurrection is an eschatological event that occurred in Jesus’ resurrection (p. 190).

                Perhaps you’ve noticed that to this point the figures under discussion are all white males—whether European or American. While these theologians have been very influential when it comes to my own theology, I was beginning to wonder if this was all there would be. Anderson shifts our attention from white males to theologians that until recently have not received much attention. Thus, chapter 10 is devoted to “Feminist and Liberation Theologians.” Anderson notes that feminist theologians began to make themselves heard in the second half of the twentieth century, challenging the way theology had been done. As for Liberation, this began to emerge in Latin America, with the work of people such as Gustavo Gutierrez and others. Then in the United States, we have the emergence of Black Theology, including the work of James Cone. These theologians have offered important critiques of traditional atonement theories, including the interpretation of sacrifice.

                When we arrive at Chapter 11, Anderson lays out what he believes God has done through Jesus. He focuses our attention on Scripture once again, beginning with the call of Abraham and Sarah. From this foundational couple, we move forward through the history of Israel/Judah, with the greatest attention given to the Exile and its aftermath. That is where Jesus comes into the story. Here he gives attention to taking note of the various aspects of Jesus' life and death and what that has to do with salvation. What begins in Chapter 11 is continued in Chapter 12, where Anderson discusses God's New Creation—that is, God's work of reconciliation in and through Jesus and his death and resurrection. This act of reconciliation includes our participation in the life of Jesus through his death and resurrection. Moving to Chapter 13, Anderson brings into the conversation our growth in Christ, that is, putting Jesus on. The key here is the Sacraments. as the means of at-one-ment. He speaks of three means of grace, beginning with hearing the Word, moving to Baptism, and then to the Eucharist. I should note that as a Presbyterian, he strongly embraces weekly communion!

                This is one of those summative exercises that writers sometimes engage in that seek to offer a broad look at ideas that have proven important to one’s life. For clergy, the death and resurrection of Jesus and their implication for the lives of those for whom a pastor has accepted responsibility is one of those categories that will emerge. My sense is that this should be a helpful book for many as he addresses atonement theory in a broad context, including sacramental theology. Too often atonement theories are addressed in isolation, but Anderson believes that they are best understood contextually. For that, we can be thankful that Fred Anderson has given us Why Did Jesus Die and What Does That Have to Do with Me? A Biblical and Sacramental Understanding of Atonement.

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