ATONEMENT
55
ATONEMENT
shadow the common commemoration of the saints
and the faithful departed in our Hturgies (Die Litur-
gien der orthodox-katholisclien Kirche des Morgen-
landes, 252).
The subject is treated by the commentators on Leviticus, notably Calmet and a Lapipe, who give the interpretation ot the Fathers. A more exhaustive treatment will be found in Spexcer's monumental work. De Legibus Hebraorum ritualibus. III, diss. 8, cf. De Hirco Emissario et prcEcipuis erpiationls jwiauts ceremonii^ (Tiibingen, 1732). For modern views on the subject, see the articles on Day of Atonement, and Azazel, by Driver and White in Dictionary of the Bible. In the Talmud the treatise Yoma (The Day) deals with the Day of Atonement.
W. H. Kent.
Atonement, Doctrine of the. — The word atone- ment, which is ahiiost the only tlieological term of English origin, has a curious history. The verb "atone", from the adverbial phra.se "at one" (il. E. at oon), at first meant to reconcile, or make "at one"; from this it came to denote the action by which such reconciliation was effected, e. g. .satis- faction for an offence or an injurj'. Hence, in Catholic theolog}', the Atonement is the Satisfaction of Christ, whereby God and the world are reconciled or made to be at one. "For God indeed v.as in Christ, reconciling the world to himself" (II Cor., v, 19). The Catholic doctrine on this subject i.s set forth in the Sixth Session of the Council of Trent, chapter ii. Having shown the insufficiency of Nature, and of the Mosaic Law, the Council continues: "Whence it came to pass, that the heavenly Father, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort (II Cor., i, 3), when that blessed fullness of the time was come (Gal., iv, -1) sent unto men Jesus Christ, His own Son, who had been, both before the Law and during the time of the Law, to many of the holy fathers announced and promised, that He might both redeem the Jews, who were under the Law and that the Gentiles who followed not after justice might attain to justice, and that all men might receive the adoption of sons. Him God hath proposed as a propitiator, through faith in His blood (Rom., iii, 25), for our sins, and not for our sins only, but also for those of the whole world (I John, ii, 2)." More than twelve centuries before this, the same dogma was proclaimed in the words of the Nicene Creed, "who for us men and for our salvation, came dowTi, took flesh, was made man; and suffered." And aU that is thus taught in the decrees of the councils may be read in the pages of the New Testament. For in- stance, in the words of Our Lord, "Even as the son of man is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a redemption for many" (Matt., XX, 28); or of St. Paul, "Because in him, it hath well pleased the Fat Iter that all fulness should dwell; and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, making peace through the blood of his cro.ss, both as to the things that are on earth, and the things that are in heaven." (Coloss., i, 19, 20).
The great doctrine thus laid down in the beginning was further unfolded and brought out into clearer light by the work of the Fathers and theologians. And it may be noted that in this instance the develop- ment is chiefly due to Catholic speculation on the mystery, and not, as in the case of other doctrines, to controversy with heretics. At first we ha^■e the central fact made known in the Apostolic preaching, that mankind was fallen and was raised up and redeemed from sin by the blood of Christ. But it remained for the pious speculation of Fathers and theologians to enter into the meaning of this great truth, to inquire into the state of fallen man, and to ask how Christ accomplished His work of Redemp- tion. By whatever names or figures it may be described, that work is the reversal of the Fall, the blotting out of sin, the deliverance from bondage, the reconciliation of mankind with God. And it is brought to pass by the Incarnation, by the life, the
sufferings, and the death of the Divine Redeemer.
All this may be summed up in the word Atonement.
This is, so to say, the .starting point. And herein
all are indeed at one. But, when it was attempted
to give a more precise account of the nature of the
Redemption and the manner of its accomplishment,
theological speculation took different courses, some
of which were suggested by the various names and
figures under which this ineffable mysten,^ is adum-
brated in Holy Scripture. Without pretending to
give a full historj' of the discussions, we may briefly
indicate some of the main lines on which the doctrine
was developed, and touch on the more important
theories put forward in explanation of the Atone-
ment.
(a) In any view, the Atonement is founded on the Divine Incarnation. By this great mystery, the Eternal Word took to Himself the nature of man and, being both God and man, became the Mediator between God and men. From this, we ha\-e one of the first and most profound forms of theological speculation on the Atonement, the theorj' which is sometimes described as Mj-stical Redemption. In- stead of seeking a solution in legal figures, some of the great Greek Fathers were content to dwell on the fundamental fact of the Divine Incarnation. By the union of the Eternal Word with the nature of man all mankind was lifted up and, so to say, deified. "He was made man", saj'S St. Athanasius, "that we might be made gods" (De Incarnatione Verbi, 54). "His flesh was saved, and made free the first of all, being made the body of the Word, then we, being concorporeal therewith, are saved by the same" (Orat., II, Contra Arianos, Ixi). And again, "For the presence of the Saviour in the flesh was the price of death, and the saving of the whole creation" (Ep. ad .\delphium, vi). In like manner St. Gregorj' of Nazianzus proves the integrity of the Sacred Humanity by the argument, "That which was not assumed is not healed; but that which is united to God is sa\-ed" (t6 yap dTrp6<r\riTrTov, ddepdireVTOy 6 dk Tjvorrai. T(fJ G^% , tovto Kal ffw^erai). This speculation of the Greek Fathers undoubtedly contains a profound truth which is sometimes for- gotten by later authors who are more intent on framing juridical theories of ransom and .satisfaction. But it is obvious that this account of the matter is im- perfect, and leaves much to be explained. It must be remembered, moreover, that the Fathers them- selves do not put this forward as a full explanation. For while many of their utterances might seem to imply that the Redemption was actually accom- plished by the union of a Divine Person with the human nature, it is clear from other passages that they do not lose sight of the atoning sacrifice. The Incarnation is, indeed, the source and the foundation of the Atonement, and these profound thinkers have, so to say, grasped the cause and its effects as one vast whole. Hence they look on to the restilt before staying to consider the means by which it was accom- plished.
(b) But something more on this matter had alreadj' been taught in the preaching of the Apostles and in the pages of the New Testament. The restoration of fallen man was the work of the In- carnate Word. "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself" (II Cor., v, 19). But the peace of that reconciliation was accomplished by the death of the Divine Redeemer, "making peace through the blood of His cross" (Coloss., i, 20). This redemption by death is another mystery, and some of the Fathers in the first ages are led to specu- late on its meaning, and to construct a theory in explanation. Here the words and figures used in Holy Scripture help to guide tlie current of theologi- cal thought. Sin is represented as a state of bondage or servitude, and fallen man is delivered by being
