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Cross Purposes: The Violent Grammar of Christian Atonement

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Larry N. George, Ph.D. (lngeorge@adelphia.net), a professor of political science, July 24, 2004,

Powerful and Provocative Reading for Christians and Non-Christians Alike

Anthony Bartlett has accomplished quite a feat: he has managed to say something new and profound about Christianity, and has done so with such deep erudition and in such a humanely compelling voice that even non-theists may well find themselves seduced by his argument, as I was. No issue could be more important for those affected by the power of monotheism in the world today -- and that, for better or worse, includes just about everyone -- than the question of violence and atonement. Bartlett's thesis is radical and provocative, and his book will stimulate much reflection and, literally, soul-searching on the part of Christian and non-Christian readers alike.

Cross Purposes is an important book in the continuing conversation about the saving significance of Jesus' death. Surveying historical thinking on atonement, the book unearths the traces of sacralized violence in atonement thinking. The book offers a helpful critique of Anselm and his followers, including evangelical penal substitution, for the violent and inconsitent image of God is perpetuates. Whereas many authors (J Denny Weaver for instance) turn to Christus Victor as an alternative to the Anselmian views, Bartlett helpfully exposes the same problem in Christus Victor - a picture of a God tainted by violence.

The book then goes onto adopt a generally deconstructive, Girardian rereading of Peter Abelard's moral influence theory. He manages to answer the critics of Abelard convincingly through his use of Derrida and Girard. His generally deconstructive approach allows him to stay away from the triumphalism that Girard is sometime accused of perpetuating. As an Anabaptist I highly appreciates Bartlett's construction of the atonement as it prunes God of any hint of violence, and holds together God's essential unity in self-giving love. And he does this in such a way that maintains the integrity of the Biblical message. Recommended to all who are interested in engaging the cross through new lenses. If you are reading James Alison and Raymund Schwager, this book is an absolute must read!

As a parish minister it has been 25 years since my formal study of atonement theory. The violent god so permeating our theologies is seductive for some and repulsive to others. Perhaps people decide to be church members in spite of god, rather than because of God. Bartlett meticulously walks us through the ways we've ended up in the dungeon of the god of violence, the "god of this world," to use St. Paul's phrase. Philosophy, theology, the Bible and literature for Bartlett are ways to understand where we've been and how we can move toward God. Thanks to Bartlett, I have new ways to preach about the God revealed in Jesus. For those of us not in academia, Cross Purposes is a challenging read providing solid foundation for my preaching.