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Definition:
In Christianity, the idea of atonement is centered upon the crucifiction and death
of Jesus. To put it simply, Jesus died for out sins so that we would no longer have
to pay for them by suffering in hell.
In the earliest days of Christianity, believers thought that the atonement was simply a ransom which Jesus paid to Satan. Later theologians, like St. Anselm, argued that Jesus' death was in effect a "reparation" paid to God because his honor had been offended by humanity's sins.
Because of problems inherent in this view, for example the idea of God demanding the death of an innocent person, Abelard developed a different idea of atonement and argued that the mere contemplation of the cross and Jesus' suffering will move a person to voluntarily repent of their sins. This removed the death of Jesus from the center of Christian thinking, something which many objected to, so his view was usually combined with Anselm's.
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Related Resources:
What is Christianity?
What are the various Christian groups, denominations, sects and heresies? What are some key concepts in Christian theology? What are some of the most important events in Christian history? All of this and more are covered in the Christianity FAQ.What is the Philosophy of Religion?
Sometimes confused with theology, the Philosophy of Religion is the philosophical study of religious beliefs, religious doctrines, religious arguments and religious history. The line between theology and the philosophy of religion isn't always sharp, but the primary difference is that theology tends to be apologetical in nature, committed to the defense of particular religious positions, whereas Philosophy of Religion is committed to the investigation of religion itself, rather than the truth of any particular religion.What is Theism?
What is the difference between monotheism and monolatry? Between pantheism and panentheism? How about between animism and shamanism? Or theism and deism? What the heck is henotheism?What is Religion?
A system of human beliefs, ideals and practices which is harder to define than it may at first appear. Read more about how dictionaries, scholars and others have tried to define and explain religion.
