Sacrifice and Redemption: Durham Essays in Theology

These essays explore the role sacrificial metaphor has to play in theological interpretation of the death of Christ, and ask whether such a metaphor makes sense today. They make clear that the political and psychological connotations of sacrifical language have in modern times given rise to great unease, and examine, in particular, the Catholic tradition of the eucharistic sacrifice, a tradition which was vigorously challenged at the Reformation. Looking at the various controversies from a variety of perspectives, the contributions to the book have a pronounced ecumenical slant, and illuminate sacrifice at the major, formative moments in history, from Old Testament times to contemporary theology. As a whole the collection suggests that claims to an ecumenical consensus are premature; that sacrificial language in the Christian tradition is more complex than is often supposed; but that, finally, the role of sacrifice in Christian thought is still vital in coming to terms with Christianity in the modern world.

List of contributors; Prefatory note; Introduction S. W. Sykes; Part I: 1. Sacrifice and holiness D. R. Jones; 2. Sacrifice and world order: some observations on ben Sira’s attitude to the temple service R. Hayward; 3. Paul’s understanding of the death of Jesus as sacrifice J. D. G. Dunn; 4. Hebrews: the final sacrifice A. N. Chester; 5. St Athanasius on Christ’s sacrifice George Dion Dragas; 6. The doctrine of sacrifice: Augustine and the Latin patristic tradition Gerald Bonner; 7. Sacrifice in the early East Syrian eucharistic tradition A. Gelston; Part II: 8. On eucharistic sacrifice in the middle ages P. J. Fitzpatrick; 9. The sacrifice of the mass at the Council of Trent J. F. McHugh; 10. Sacrifice in Puritan typology S. Hardman Moore; Part III: 11. The conscious and the unconscious sacrifice: Kierkegaard on art, suffering and religion George Pattison; 12. Pearse’s sacrifice: Christ and Cuchulain crucified and risen in the Easter Rising, 1916 S. W. Gilley; 13. The concept of sacrifice in Anglican social ethics Alan M. Suggate; 14. Eucharistic sacrifice: the problem of how to use a liturgical metaphor, with special reference to Simone Weil A. L. Loades; Part IV: 15. The semantics of sacrifice Edward Hulmes; 16. Outline of a theology of sacrifice S. W. Sykes; 17. Christ died for us: reflections on the sacrificial language of salvation I. U. Dalferth; Index of biblical and ancient references; Index of persons.