So, what if you're a non-Christian who believes that Jesus was a prophet but rejects the concept of vicarious redemption? Can those non-Christian people receive salvation?
Of course! I'm a Christian, in that I am an active and committed member of a Christian Church, but the idea of vicarious redemption makes no sense to me, either! In our society it is quite morally offensive. It worked well in past societies, and for some today it still works, but no worries if it doesn't. There are all kinds of different interpretations of Christianity and the Christian story, including progressive Christianity, which I am part of. In my church (the United Church of Canada), we really don't hold to the traditional reading of Christ and the nature of atonement at all. For most of us, Jesus is a prophet/teacher, and he showed us a way of responding to the challenges and tragedies of life. The way he lived out his dying is part of that. Martin Luther King's approach to protest - peaceful resistance - was very much based on Jesus' example. That is one way in which Jesus' death can, in the words of Alister McGrath here - "transform human life." (BTW, Mahatma Gandhi, used peaceful resistance before MLK, but he had studied Christianity thoroughly, and I believe made use of it in his political strategy.).
Thank you for the continuation of the series. God bless you more Professor McGrath.
So, what if you're a non-Christian who believes that Jesus was a prophet but rejects the concept of vicarious redemption? Can those non-Christian people receive salvation?
Of course! I'm a Christian, in that I am an active and committed member of a Christian Church, but the idea of vicarious redemption makes no sense to me, either! In our society it is quite morally offensive. It worked well in past societies, and for some today it still works, but no worries if it doesn't. There are all kinds of different interpretations of Christianity and the Christian story, including progressive Christianity, which I am part of. In my church (the United Church of Canada), we really don't hold to the traditional reading of Christ and the nature of atonement at all. For most of us, Jesus is a prophet/teacher, and he showed us a way of responding to the challenges and tragedies of life. The way he lived out his dying is part of that. Martin Luther King's approach to protest - peaceful resistance - was very much based on Jesus' example. That is one way in which Jesus' death can, in the words of Alister McGrath here - "transform human life." (BTW, Mahatma Gandhi, used peaceful resistance before MLK, but he had studied Christianity thoroughly, and I believe made use of it in his political strategy.).