Deceiving the Devil: Atonement, Abuse, and Ransom

Are traditional teachings about the life and death of Jesus enough? What do they reveal? Does God merely wish for suffering people to passively succumb to the threats of evil and oppression? Is the life of Christ a model for abuse?In "Deceiving The Devil," Darby Kathleen Ray presents the two classical Christian models of the life of Jesus -- the Anselmian and the Abelardian. She then examines objections by feminist and liberationist scholars, and reclaims a third classical model in order to empower the marginalized.For many feminists, the Anselmian claim that Christ took each sinner's place enfranchises -- perhaps even sanctions -- abuse. Meanwhile, the Abelardian idea of moral influence through the life and teachings of the historical Jesus is one that troubles liberationists: Does it encourage passivity and fail to adequately confront the structures of oppression? Can a possible alternative be discerned from the remaining tradition?Ray's solution is to retrieve and refine a third, classical model that meets these objections and better meshes with the popular piety of many Christians. A powerful theology, "Deceiving The Devil" underscores how God in Christ rejects the tools of evil in a way that offers hope in a broken world.