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Werner H Ritter
Zur Bedeutung der Opfersymbolik in der Kultur der Gegenwart
Christianity has considered Jesus Christ's death on the cross to be the central event of salvation. In recent decades, the interpretation of that event in terms of the ideas of sacrifice and of substitution have increasingly faced rejection, since they seem inconsistent with the perception that God can only be gentle and kind. Lately, however, the sacrifice motif has frequently been recovered in modern life and popular culture, which indicates that myths of this kind are important to people. Theology takes place not only on the basis of historical facts, for it also emphasizes the narrativity and inherent logic of myths – that is, their potential to engage people and in this way contribute to constructing their lifeworlds. In this regard, the New Testament attributes a multitude of mythicalmetaphorical meanings to Jesus' death on the cross, making it impossible to explain this event definitively and thus submit it to purely rational understanding. While the picture of sacrifice and substitution may be questionable to people today who no longer operate with juridical theories of atonement, it proves to hold a positive existential meaning for many as an expression of personal relationship. In any case, there is no definite answer to the question, “Does a loving God sacrifice his son?” that will satisfy all people for all time. Instead, it is important to pay attention to what biblical myths can suggest to people and what people consider to be meaningful for themselves.
International Journal of Practical Theology, Walter de Gruyter
Print ISSN: 1430-6921
Volume: 10, 07/2006
Pages: 15 - 33