Satisfaction theory of atonement

The doctrine of satisfaction is part of the Christian doctrine of redemption.

According to this notion of the death of Jesus as atonement is needed to provide adequate redress for the violation of the glory of God that is done by the fall of man. For God there was only the alternative " either punishment" ( aut poena ), that is, the destruction of all mankind " or restitution " ( aut satisfactio ) by a sin aufwiegende compensation. In order for the replacement power could be heavyset than humanity and sin, it was necessary that God himself became man in order now - as a matter of sinless one - to give his life as satisfactio for the sins of the people in the human form of Jesus Christ then.

First approaches can be found in Tertullian, inter alia, the effective formulation developed historically most important Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109 AD) in his work Cur Deus homo.

Many theologians hold the doctrine of satisfaction for the central core of Christianity, as it represents how people get to the salvation. Other theologians, however, hold the doctrine of satisfaction for a misinterpretation of the Bible, whose statements had been misunderstood by the medieval understanding of the law.

Hans Küng praises in " a Christian ", although the " formal clarity, legal consistency and systematic unity " of Anselm doctrine of satisfaction, but ultimately they criticized as an " alienation of the biblical message ." He said: "Man must be reconciled, not God .... not by a personal resentment of God, but by those real hostility is eliminated between man and God, not the inheritance of a sin, but from current personal debt and general debt disaster occurs. "

In today's preaching both consent to such rejection of Anselm doctrine of satisfaction can be found.