Bill, from time to time, will you revisit the topic of the atonement of Christ, not only because

of its importance, but also because you wrote an important book on the subject, Atonement,

and the Death of Christ. I'm curious whether you've added anything on the Atonement for your

systematic philosophical theology that's not in the book.

Yes, Kevin, I have. I've got some great new material on imputation. The strongest argument against

a penal substitutionary view of the atonement is that it is immoral and unjust to punish an innocent

third party for the wrongdoing of someone else. And I have found additional examples of the

imputation of wrongdoing to otherwise innocent third parties that is accepted in our justice system.

In fact, it permeates our justice system.

So you'll find that the account of imputation in the systematic philosophical theology volume four that deals

with the atonement to make a genuine advance over the previously published book.

Well, I ran across an article on Anselm's view of the Atonement written by Hans Nyman,

who has a BA and an M.A. in theology. He writes, quoting, Anselm's view of the atonement written by Hans Nyman, who has a B.A. and an M.A. in theology,

he writes, quoting, Anselm was the first who articulate a satisfaction theory of atonement,

an extensive detail. And he did this in the late 11th century in a work titled Curdeus Homo,

why God became man. Nyman goes on to say that Anselm, 17th century in a work titled Curdeus Homo, Why God Became Man.

Naiman goes on to say that Anselm influenced Calvin and the reformers to develop the penal substitutionary atonement, and that Anselm also was writing against the ransom theory.

But before we get into those, what are your overall thoughts on Onselm's

satisfaction theory, Bill? As brilliant as Anselm's theory is, I think in the end it's inadequate,

Kevin, because it doesn't deal with the central problem of guilt. It is a theory to offer to God compensation for

our wrongdoing, but there's nothing in the theory about absolution of guilt, about divine

pardon and forgiveness. And so I think it really fails at the very core of what atonement is about.

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