Saved by an Innocent Death?

This chapter explores the ways the New Testament addresses the crucifixion, presenting a variety of metaphors to illustrate the multifaceted nature of salvation and the challenges of interpreting Jesus’ death. The discussion moves to contemporary theological debates, focusing on feminist and womanist critiques that question traditional sacrificial interpretations of the crucifixion. These perspectives argue that viewing Jesus’ death as a sacrifice for sins overlooks the potential harm such interpretations can inflict on marginalized communities, suggesting a need for a more liberating understanding of sacrifice. A significant focus of the chapter is on questioning the adequacy of the “atonement model paradigm”—a traditional framework that tends to categorize theories of salvation into distinct models such as ransom, satisfaction, or moral influence. This paradigm, while providing a structured way to conceptualize atonement, often oversimplifies the rich theological nuances and the multifaceted nature of biblical soteriology. Engaging with the work of René Girard, the chapter explores the possibility of reimagining the concept of sacrifice in a way that can offer hope and liberation to all believers, especially those on society’s margins. Girard’s ideas provide a framework for understanding the dynamics of violence and scapegoating underlying traditional concepts of sacrifice, pointing towards a reinterpretation that maintains the salvific significance of Jesus’ death while addressing modern ethical concerns.