Christ Crucified - by Donald MacLeod (Paperback)

About the Book

How could the life, let alone the death, of one man 2,000 years ago be the salvation of the human race? Donald Macleod explains the centrality of the atonement in Christian faith and experience, using seven key words to describe what happened on the cross: substitution, expiation, propitiation, reconciliation, satisfaction, redemption and victory.

Book Synopsis

How could the life, let alone the death, of one man 2,000 years ago be the salvation of the human race? The biblical explanation is the atonement: the crucified one was the Son of God, acting and suffering in cooperation with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is presented in all four Gospels, and occupies considerable space in the overall narrative. The death of this one person has universal, inclusive and cosmic significance, because in him the Creator acts and suffers. This is the primary answer to "the scandal of particularity." There is also a special relationship between Christ and humanity--he was "with" us, and he was "for" us. The grandeur of the cross lies in the fact that the incarnate Son of God offered himself in our place, bearing the penalty for our sin. Donald Macleod considers seven key words Christians have used through the centuries to describe what happened on the cross: substitution, expiation, propitiation, reconciliation, satisfaction, redemption and victory. No single one of these tells the whole truth, nor do all of them together exhaust the meaning of the cross. Macleod shows that these concepts are interrelated and interdependent, and that together they give a coherent picture of the salvation wrought by Jesus at Calvary.

Review Quotes

"Macleod's volume is eminently readable (no small compliment), and is certainly suitable for the theologically interested readership of the church. It would also serve very well as a textbook for related theology courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. With its engaging prose and heartfelt concerns, this reviewer found it both illuminating and uplifting."

"This careful treatment of the Gospels is a fascinating read meant for those with a basic grasp of Greek and New Testament Theology."

About the Author

Donald Macleod, now retired, was professor of systematic theology at the Free Church of Scotland College in Edinburgh, Scotland, from 1978 to 2011. He is the author of The Person of Christ in the Contours of Christian Theology.