[Oe List ...] Salmon: The Atonement Dialogue

[Bill Salmon]

Colleagues on the Journey --
    Recently, there has been an interesting little dialogue on the topic of Atonement theology. This piqued my interest because I am an Atonement theologian. This is not so strange to those of us exposed to PLC and RS-I. There are two observations I'd liked to add to the conversation. 
    Atonement is nothing more than At-One-Ment; the word is what the word does. Consequently, any actions that bring about unity, symphony, harmony, interrelationship, peace, etc., become the demonstration of how we are to live with our spouse/neighbor, appreciate our own "selves," and finally how we respect the Mysterious Power. In this way we fulfill our intended purpose of living the humane and gracious life, which, of course, fulfills the Divine Commandment touted so clearly by Neibuhr. 
    Anything that is the opposite of this ethic is the antithesis of At-One-Ment.
    In order to keep this context from drifting off into irrelevance, it is necessary to connect some Incarnational Theology into it as well. In order not to make Incarnational Theology difficult, it only is necessary to push every response into its secular experience. 
    "Don't tell me about God unless you tell me how you experience God."
    "Well, God is love." 
    "OK, so when was the last time you were loved." 
    "It was when my wife forgave me for being a damned fool!" 
    "OK, now we are on common ground because I know what a damned fool is, because I am one too."  
    In my theology I call this Gut Trip Analysis. I'm never interested in, "What do you know?" Rather I'm interested only in, "How do you experience?" It never ceases to amaze me how quickly we avoid paying attention to our experiences, relationships, and emotions. 
    Then, in order to keep this from drifting off into dilettante-ism it is necessary for those living awakened humane and gracious lives to dedicate ourselves to working for justice and mercy for all of God's chill'in.
    What do you think? 
    Inner Peace, 
    Pastor Bill 
 
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