Passionate response to atonement attacks

Jeremy Halcrow | 25 September 2007

Font size: + - | print | email to a friend

The motion

Synod -

a) Notes with concern recent public comments denigrating a penal substitutionary understanding of the atoning death of Christ, for example during Easter 2007 from the Dean of St Albans in England, and affirms the biblical teaching that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son truly incarnate as a human being, died in our place, bearing the curse of the Law and paying the penalty for our sin, and by so doing reconciled us to God, expressed God's determined love for us and together with his resurrection accomplished a complete victory over the principalities and powers, and

b) requests the Diocesan Doctrine Commission to provide a report which explores the importance of penal substitution in understanding the Bible's teaching on the atonement.

After a passionate debate, Sydney Synod has expressed its concern at recent attacks on the penal substitutionary understanding of Christ’s atoning death by some high profile Anglican leaders.

The Synod has also asked the Diocesan Doctrine Commission to write a report on the importance of penal substitution in understanding the Bible’s teaching on the atonement.

Moore College vice-principal the Rev Dr Bill Salier, in moving the final motion, said the issue was worthy of discussion ‘in the light of the Diocesan Mission’.

“We wait for the slogan, but what is the substance of our gospel presentation; is this an element that will find a place?”

He also told Synod that the wording of his motion was ‘not idiosyncratic but expressive of Scriptural and Creedal truth’.

“The understanding of the cross that is expressed in the motion has been consistently under attack from a variety of voices,” he said, citing recent comment by the Dean of St Albans and Archbishop Peter Carnley’s book Flaws in the Glass.

“My point is that the issue is one of controversy within our circles… the recent comments of Steve Chalk in his book equating the penal substitutionary view with cosmic child abuse being a particularly emotive example.”

Dr Salier’s very mild original motion was much amended through the course of the Synod week, with Dr Salier accepting a number of suggestions to make the motion more pointed.

However, in later debate, Bishop Robert Forsyth said the amendment to refer the matter to the Doctrine Commission was most critical because it now meant the motion was ‘speaking to ourselves’ to ensure Sydney Anglicans didn’t ‘speak untrue’ when defending penal substitutionary atonement.

Failed amendment

However an amendment by the Rev Sandy Grant from St Michael’s, Wollongong, to commend to parishioners the books The Cross of Christ by John Stott and Pierced for our Transgression by Steve Jeffrey, Mike Ovey and Andrew Sach was narrowly defeated 163 votes to 152.

Passionate debate

Justice Michael Adams and the Rev Clive Watkins, rector of St George’s, Paddington, spoke against the final motion.

Justice Michael Adams said ‘it was a dry and arid’ theological debate that amounted to nothing more than ‘a barrage of words’ against those within the Anglican Church who disagree with the Sydney Diocese’s position.

Mr Watkins said he could not assent ‘to this particular formulation’ of the atonement and feared the motion represented a ‘further tightening of freedom of thought’ in the Diocese.

Tony George, who teaches at Pacific Hills Christian School, spoke passionately in favour of the motion saying that ‘far from a dry and arid theological debate’ it was critically important issue in Christian education, especially in evangelism amongst teenagers.