Reclaiming Schleiermacher for Twenty-first Century Atonement Theory: The Human and the Divine in Feminist Christology

Abstract

In the wake of important scholarship on Jesus' humanity, feminist christology suffers from a struggle to articulate the divinity of Jesus Christ because of its criticism of sacrificial atonement theory, which has led to didactic or exemplary models of redemption. Feminist theology stands in need of further discussion in an effort to articulate feminist incarnational atonement theory more thoroughly. Schleiermacher's theology, especially as it is articulated in his theory of preaching, aids feminist theology in claiming Jesus' divinity while simultaneously maintaining criticism of a violent atonement and relocating the power of the incarnation away from Jesus' maleness to the preached Word in the community. The basis of feminist incarnational atonement theory is initially found within four major areas of dialogue: in a central focus on Jesus' life, in definitions of redemption, in the centrality of community, and in criticism of the violence of the atonement.Having spent considerable energy on the significance of Jesus' humanity, much of feminist christology suffers from a struggle to articulate the divinity of Jesus Christ because of its criticism of sacrificial atonement theory, which has led to didactic or exemplary models of redemption. Feminist theology stands in need of further discussion in an effort to explicate feminist incarnational atonement theory more thoroughly, one that neither simply gives us an example or teacher in Jesus nor ignores the problems of a violent atonement and theologically construed male deification. Schleiermacher's theology, especially as it is articulated in his theory of preaching, aids feminist theology in

Rewriting Calvin: Schleiermacher on the atonement and priestly office of Christ

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