Expert: Michael Clark, Ph.D. - 5/26/2004

Question
Ever since I saw Mel Gibson's movie I've been arguing with other people about different atonement theories. I understand there is no single orthodox way to explain it, but I refuse to believe that God wanted blood and suffering in exchange for forgiveness of sins. Could it be that the incarnation itself achieved the atonement? What's your opinion?

Answer
You know, that's a very good question. Of course, I don't really know the answer, but I have sensed the problem - on a sort of subconscious level - you're alluding to, without articulating it as clearly as you have.

Some born again Christians say that the best way to keep the devil away (or bad vibes) is to "cover yourself in the precious blood" of Christ. I tried that and it didn't really work for me. My solution to bad vibes is to go to Mass often, check my negative attitudes, get plenty of moderate exercise, eat and sleep according to my perceived needs, and use Holy Water.

That might seem like I'm working around the question, but how we live, I think, reflects to some degree, how we believe (and vice versa).

I would think that the Jesus' entire life on Earth (birth, growing up, ministry, betrayal, death, resurrection), as well as the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit through time is involved in the atonement. It's true that the death on the Cross is often emphasized, even within Catholicism. The Maryknoll Catholic dictionary stresses the birth, life, and death. No mention of the resurrection or the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. But I think the whole picture is important. Jesus didn't stop saving us at the moment of his death. He also lives on, in different ways and proportions, within everyone today. And there's also the working of grace in our lives. So I tend to see the atonement with the Lord as an ongoing and multivariate process.