The Atonement in Lutheran Theology

[Mark_Sam]

Hi! There are many different views on the Atonement, but which is the Orthodox Lutheran one?

I really got into theology during what I call my "Calvinist period", where I got into the penal substitution theology (Christ was punished in our place). But there are many views of the Atonement which predates this one, including
Christus Victor (Christ defeated Satan and Death, thereby setting us free), the recapitulation view (the 2nd Adam undid the failure of the 1st Adam),
the ransom view (Christ's death was a ransom paid to Satan), and the satisfaction view in general.

Now, I believe that many of there views can be true at the same time, though some views are more dubious than other.

 

[Zecryphon]

The one that is presented in the Confessions.

From The Augsburg Confession:

Article IV: Of Justification.

1] Also they teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for 2] Christ's sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. 3] This faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight. Rom. 3 and 4.



I'm posting a link to the article concerning Justification from The Defense of the Augsburg Confession, since it's so long:



Defense of the Augsburg Confession - Book of Concord

 

[DaRev]

Hi! There are many different views on the Atonement, but which is the Orthodox Lutheran one?

Yes.

 

[doulos_tou_kuriou]

I'm not sure it is necessary among Lutherans to distinguish exactly how this atonement happens, what matters is Christ did it and we receive the grace of that atonement by faith.

Gustaf Aulen makes a big push to suggest Christus Victor as a Lutheran view. It's a good book, and I think he does best to destroy any notion of Christ as teacher/example better than anything in the work. Substitutionary atonement has never surprised me to be a Calvinist view of it because of the Calvinist legalism. It seems a bit too similar to Anselm, which such a systemic understanding of debt. So I don't think about the theories so much, because the voice of the Bible does not seem to be tied to a single theory so much as a single proclamation that Christ died for you.

 

[Lost Squirrel]

I'm not sure it is necessary among Lutherans to distinguish exactly how this atonement happens, what matters is Christ did it and we receive the grace of that atonement by faith.
...

Ditto.

Additionally, Gerhard Forde presents a similar argument. He makes a case for (and conversely against to certain extents) the satisfaction, substitution and victorious views with more "recent" emphasis placed on Christ as victor. But bottom line, as dtk mentioned, is that the focus is mainly on the outcome.