Understanding atonement

Lent 2024 – Part 12, Kaleidoscope Theory of Atonement

This Lent, I reflect deeply on the profound significance of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, exploring the various theories embraced or historically cherished by Christian churches. This journey reveals a rich tapestry of beliefs and interpretations. It’s important to acknowledge that there is more than a single perspective, and for those who have engaged in discussions about them, there are way more than the two you have argued over.

Changing what you believe about atonement is not denying Jesus. The gospel is not a description of how Jesus’ death (and resurrection, ascension, and enthronement) rescues the world, but that it does so. The gospel is not a theory or advice, it is news.

The science of the kaleidoscope is a fascinating journey of discovery! Invented in 1816 by the brilliant Scottish physicist Sir David Brewster during his exciting experiments with the polarization and refraction of light, this captivating device showcases vibrant pieces of coloured glass or plastic nestled between two transparent layers. When viewed through a tube containing two mirrors, it creates an enchanting spectacle that never fails to inspire wonder and joy.

I remember having a kaleidoscope as a child, and it truly captivated me. Discovering how it worked and understanding that the mirrors were set at 60°, which I had learned in maths before starting school, filled me with wonder. I later learned the science of reflection. That’s my logical mind which often made it challenging to fit in with others.

The kaleidoscope theory of work

Bear with me as I explore a different kaleidoscope theory, which, on the surface, appears to branch away from Christian theology but may reveal exciting connections.

The Kaleidoscope Career Model, developed by Mainiero and Sullivan, illustrates that careers are shaped by three dynamic parameters: authenticity, balance, and challenge, all of which evolve to create exciting opportunities throughout a person’s life and career.

The KCM highlights that these three parameters are consistently at play, often with one parameter shining brighter at various times, positively influencing career decisions and transitions. The metaphor of a kaleidoscope illustrates how an individual’s career evolves in response to the dynamic quest for authenticity, balance, and challenge, showcasing the possibilities that arise with each shift.

What this has in common with the Kaleidoscope Theory of Atonement is that both are vibrant reminders that everything is in a constant state of transformation. The hymn Abide with Me beautifully articulates this with the line, “Change and decay in everything I see.” Change, while often daunting, brings new opportunities and growth that we should embrace.

Kaleidoscope Theory of Atonement.

• The atonement is God’s sacrifice of himself. “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:2.
• It is a ransom. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45.
• It is a reconciliation of God with humans and humans with each other. “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;  that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” Mark 5:18-19.
• It shows us how we should behave. “In this is love, that we have been given to love one another.” 1 John 4:10.
• It is about God’s honour. “ That all may honour the Son, just as they honour the Father. Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him.” John 5:23.
  It is about God’s justice, “and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:24-26.
• It is about God’s mercy. “He saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit,” Titus 3:5
  It is God’s victory over sin, death and Satan. “Since the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself partook of the same, that by death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Hebrews 2:14.
  

I have mentioned before that in the early days, many devoted individuals would embrace multiple theories of atonement when sharing the Gospels. Saint Augustine of Hippo, in his profound writings, thoughtfully utilized Ransom Theory, Recapitulation, and Moral Exemplar. These were the significant theories known during his time. However, as we moved forward into the late 19th and 20th centuries, the Fundamentalists, emerging from conservative Evangelicalism, began to assert that Penal Substitution was the sole way to interpret the cross of Jesus Christ. In response, Christus Victor, in 1930, compassionately sought to revive the ancient Ransom Theory, while also incorporating Recapitulation and Moral Exemplar, yet feeling compelled to reject the other interpretations.

The Kaleidoscope theory of the atonement beautifully suggests that perspectives like Christus Victor, Satisfaction, Penal Substitution, and Moral Exemplar, among others, each illuminate vital facets of the atonement’s profound significance. When we embrace these varied viewpoints together, we find a richer, more compassionate understanding of atonement than we could achieve by viewing each theory in isolation.

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