Episode 109: Victory by Defeat (Atonement Theories, Part 2)--Christus Victory

As they continue exploring the question, "What happened at the cross?" pastors Sarah, Erica, and Steve look at an ancient way of understanding the atonment--as a cosmic victory over the powers of evil, sin, and death.  This model, often called "Christus Victor" ("Christ, the Victor," for non-Latin speakers), draws on biblical passages that depict the cross as God's great triumph in which Jesus defeats the powers that defy God, not by killing his enemies on a battlefield, but by dying at their hands, being swallowed by death, and breaking its power from the inside.  Our conversation looks at biblical roots of this way of thinking about Jesus' death, some of the ways it has been developed over the centuries in modern theology, its limits, its strengths, and the ways it reminds us that we are subject to powers that are bigger than ourselves, whether we want to admit it or not.  Join us for this week's latest episode in our series for Lent that looks at many sides of the meaning of the cross.