The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Did Augustine reject penal substitutionary atonement?!

Sure, Luke, people on all sides of belief can be biased and not able to see any other view. If we understand that it can help stretch us to try and see new things. I can appreciate where you are coming from since I was also taught your view. I’ve realized how very careful I have to be when explaining my view because it can sound like I’m saying the same thing, when I am not. Take for example, I want people to understand that God does not need blood, it’s not what satisfies Him, in the way they think. I can’t say, “Jesus doesn’t appease an angry God,” because he does. He doesn’t do it in the way they think, but by turning us toward God, so that we follow Him and have his Spirit living inside us, so that we avoid wrath, consequences. God’s anger toward us is appeased. This, however, is not what they are saying. It really can be so tricky. If we can understand where the other is coming from, that’s something.