Why did God have to murder his only son to pay our debts? What kind of vengeful, violent God can only be satisfied by vicarious blood atonement? In Executing God, theologian Sharon Baker presents a biblically based and theologically sound critique of popular theories of the atonement. Concerned about the number of acts of violence performed in the name of God, Baker challenges cultural assumptions about the death of Jesus and its meaning to Christians. She ultimately offers a constructive alternate view of atonement based on God's forgiveness that opens up salvation to a wider group of people.

About the Author
Sharon L. Baker is an associate professor of theology and religion and the author of Razing Hell: Rethinking Everything You've Been Taught about God's Wrath and Judgment, along with numerous articles on hell and non-violent atonement.

Reviews
"I've grappled with the subject of this book for years and read piles of books on it. Sharon has crystallized the problems so clearly and proposed solutions so gently and graciously that I know I'll be recommending it widely. Young Christians especially should take advantage of this chance for Sharon to be their professor. She's a consummate educator and a trustworthy guide." --Brian D. McLaren, activist and author of A Generous Orthodoxy and A New Kind of Christianity I think Sharon Baker has succeeded in incorporating non-violent convictions into a plausible understanding of Jesus' work. She has addressed the concerns of ordinary people such as undergraduates more fully than any other author I'm aware of who has written about the atonement. The book is filled with wonderful illustrations and examples. Dr. Baker is the first writer I've read who has assessed the exemplarist view very differently than the revelatory view of the cross, and that is helpful to me. --Fisher Humphries, professor of divinity emeritus, Beeson School of Divinity



Book Information
ISBN 9780664238100
Author Sharon L. Baker
Format Paperback
Page Count 216
Imprint Westminster/John Knox Press,U.S.
Publisher Westminster/John Knox Press,U.S.