I’ve just watched this and found it strangely moving. Somehow I expected it to be funny because, well, it’s Steve Robinson. But of course salvation is serious business. I’m posting this here, because I suspect that there are others who may appreciate it. And also, I suppose, because it reminds me of how growing up I found the penal substitutionary atonement theory really revolting but didn’t know what the alternative was… and if anyone else is in that situation I’d like them to watch this.
May 15, 2012 at 2:03 pm
[...] Soteriology. [...]
May 18, 2012 at 11:28 am
Thanks for sharing. Very even handed.
May 18, 2012 at 1:58 pm
Thanks, Mark, I’m glad that you think so. I had wondered whether it was caricaturing the Protestant view, but couldn’t really see how. Plus Steve was himself an Evangelical pastor once – not that that guarantees anything, but still.
May 19, 2012 at 8:51 am
P.S. You might also find this article helpful.
May 20, 2012 at 2:33 am
Macrina, I haven’t checked in on your blog for months due to “life” but… thank you for sharing the video. I did indeed take extreme caution to not parody nor come across as funny or mocking the penal-substitutionary atonement theory of salvation. I find it interesting when Protestant Christians take offense at my presentation of their nearly universal presentation of the Gospel (which I taught, preached and like you, felt that something was radically wrong with deep in my heart but had no alternative to teach). It is also interesting that the predominant Protestant reaction is that I’m teaching universalism. I think that shows how little theological nuance most mainstream Christians have. There is a huge chasm to bridge….
May 20, 2012 at 10:37 pm
Thanks for commenting here, Steve. I found it significant that Mark thought this even handed as he is quite a strong Calvinist. I had wondered about the caricaturing just because it (the Protestant bit) sounded so awful to me and I was half-expecting Protestants to tell me that of course they don’t believe that stuff. Of course, I suspect that there probably are Protestants who would disagree with what’s presented – perhaps in the same way that when I was a Catholic I disagreed with some presentations of Catholicism until I realised that I was the one who was in the wrong place, although that may be a slightly more complex story!
I agree with you on the lack of theological nuance. One of my concerns is that when people do reject the penal substitutionary atonement theory, they tend to reject Christianity too as they have come to identify the two, at least around here. I have met people who have felt conscience bound to reject a God who could order the murder of his own Son. To which I could only answer that I thoroughly agreed with their consciences.
Alternatively, people seem to move into a sort of anything-goes anti-dogmatic “spirituality” without having ever had a proper appreciation of the Church’s dogma and its importance.
As you say, there is a huge chasm to bridge…
May 26, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Loved the video. I have shared it for a while now with quite a few people, as well as my bible study group. It’s visual theology, something I think has to be developed to help ‘bridge the chasm’ given the way studying doctrine is so widely dismissed. If the visual can promote some kind of stirring in the heart, I wonder if it can’t be an impetus to looking more deeply. Has that been your experience with the video in any way?
July 13, 2012 at 9:44 pm
Very good presentation. Did you say somebody was offended by this because it’s too accurate?