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N T Wright on Steve Chalke

The tiresome debate over penal substitution goes on. Quite why it is desirable to make assent to this particular model of the atonement (or as is more often the case, a rather skewed and theologically and biblically incorrect version of it) a litmus test of one's orthodoxy is slightly bewildering, given that the church has never actually agreed on a unified theory of the atonement like they have in other areas such as the nature of the person of Christ, and so on.

Anyhow, this week N T Wright gave his views on the matter in an interview for ntwrightpage.com :

There has been some recent debate over a controversial book by Steve Chalke which you have endorsed.  Chalke has warned that some versions of penal substitution can reduce God to a “cosmic child abuser.”  Would you agree with his analysis and do you see that as a danger?

ANSWER: There are some ways of preaching and expounding penal substitution which do indeed reduce it to the crude terms of God demanding that someone suffer and not caring much who it is.  This is an attempt to put the vast ocean of God’s saving love into the small bottle of one particular category.  When you track penal substitution from its NT statements (Mark 10.45, Romans 8.3, etc etc) back to its roots in Isaiah 53, you discover that in its proper form it is part of a much larger theme, which is God’s vindication of his justice and saving love and his demolition of pagan power and authority.  Sometimes evangelicals haven’t wanted to embrace or even notice the larger themes and so have falsely accentuated the sharp edge of penal substitution in isolation from them.  I think Steve is reacting to that kind of skewed presentation.  Think of it like this.  In a musical chord, the ‘third’ (in a chord of C major, this would be the note E) is the critical one that tells you many things, e.g. whether the music is major or minor, happy or sad.  That E is vital if the music is to make the sense it does.  But if the player plays the E and nothing else, the E no longer means what it’s meant to mean.  Likewise, substitutionary atonement is a vital element in the gospel.  Miss it out, and the music of the gospel is no longer what it should be.  But if you only play that note you are in danger of setting up a different harmony altogether...

Check out the rest of the answers to this month's Wrightsaid questions here.

Christian Carnival XCII

This week's Christian Carnival will be hosted right here on my Theology and Biblical Studies page. The Christian Carnival is open to all Christians of any persuasion and background to enter and is always worth a visit to see what the hop topics of discussion are in the Christian blogosphere.

If you want to enter, send an e-mail over to christiancarnival@gmail.com containing the following information:

* The title of your post
* Blog name
* Blog URL
* Post URL
* Trackback link (optional)
* A brief 2-3 sentence description of your post

The deadline for submissions is usually midnight EST on Tuesday but due to the the erratic shift pattern I'm working next week and the time difference between here in the UK and the USA (where most posts come from) means that you'll have a few extra hours beyond the usual deadline to submit a post. Due to excessive spamming problems, I've had to disable some trackback features at the moment so I can't guarantee I'll be able to trackback to your post. For more information about the Carnival go here.

Wednesday night thought

First of all thanks to the very kind and thoughtful people who commented on my post on Leaving the Charismatic Church both on this blog and on my other one. They are all challenging and encouraging comments which I will respond to in more depth when I'm less pushed for time, but thanks to everyone who commented.

A thought occured to me this afternoon at work: we spend more than half the waking day in our place of work yet proportionately we hear so little about it in terms of what it means to be a Christian in the workplace. I don't just mean talks on how to get your colleagues to come to your church's Alpha Course, but in terms of what discipleship might mean, say, if you work (as I do) in a call centre giving people advice on how to fix their telephones and get their broadband working. Paul says to the Colossians:

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Col 3:23-24

...which I would do well to remember during the times I get so bored and frustrated that I want to hurl my PC through the window and stamp all over my desk. On the advice of my wise and caring other half, I've started reading The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence which looks at honouring and worshipping God in the small and dreary everyday stuff which is where (let's face it) most of us spend our time. Here's a sample which I found quite encouraging:

"We have a God who is infinitely gracious and knows all our wants. I always thought that He would reduce you to extremity. He will come in His own time, and when you least expect Him. Hope in Him more than ever. Thank Him with me for the favors He does you, particularly for the fortitude and patience which He gives you in your afflictions. It is a plain mark of the care He takes of you. Comfort yourself with Him, and give thanks for all

[...]

A little lifting up of the heart and a remembrance of God suffices. One act of inward worship, though upon a march with sword in hand, are prayers which, however short, are nevertheless very acceptable to God. And, far from lessening a soldier's courage in occasions of danger, they actually serve to fortify it.

Let him think of God as often as possible. Let him accustom himself, by degrees, to this small but holy exercise. No one sees it, and nothing is easier than to repeat these little adorations all through the day. "

Amen to that. Read the whole (short) text here.