The New Adam: What the Early Church Can Teach Evangelicals (and Liberals) about the Atonement - Hardcover

by Ron Highfield (Author), Thomas H. Olbricht (Foreword by)

Have you ever found yourself repeating expressions such as "Jesus saves" or "Jesus died for our sins" without really understanding them? When popular speakers "explain" how Jesus's death satisfied God's wrath so you could be forgiven, do you ever think to yourself, "I don't get it"? If so, you're not alone, you're not dumb, and the problem is not with you. Ron Highfield reframes Christian teaching about the atonement so that it comes alive with fresh meaning. Drawing on biblical and traditional sources, Highfield explains why our frustration in trying to understand how Jesus's death satisfies God's judicial wrath is inevitable . . . because the idea doesn't make sense and the Bible doesn't teach it! Instead of viewing the atonement as the solution to God's problem of how to forgive sins while remaining perfectly just, Highfield argues that the atonement is God's solution to our problem. In Jesus, God rewrites the human story, forgiving our sins, correcting our mistakes, and realizing our destiny. As one of us, Jesus lives a perfect life, passes through death, and enters into eternal life. As the new Adam, he invites us to join his family, share his life, and enjoy his victory.

Author Biography

Ron Highfield is Professor of Religion at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He is the author of Barth and Rahner (1989), Great is the Lord (2008), God, Freedom & Human Dignity (2013), and The Faithful Creator (2015). He is a co-author of Four Views on Divine Providence (2011).