Atonement (moral influence view)

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The moral influence view of the atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology related to the meaning and effect of the death of Jesus Christ. While it originated in the Middle Ages it has been largely taught in liberal Christian circles, most famously by Charles Grandison Finney, whose Systematic Theology expounded heavily upon it. Drawing primarily from the works of Pierre Abélard, the moral influence theory teaches that Christ's death on the cross served for humankind as an example of God's great love and Christ's obedience.

It has been contrasted with the satisfaction view of the atonement.

[edit] External links

• "The Moral Theory" section III.9.3 from Charles Hodge's Systematic Theology, describing the view and arguing against it.

• "The Moral Theory of Atonement" Website giving a positive explanation of this perspective.
• "Historical Theories of Atonement" Theopedia gives a brief and fair treatment of the historical and modern theories of atonement.