Idol Killer Interview 3 Anselm’s Contribution to Penal-Substitutionary Atonement

Paul Vendredi joins Idol Killer host Warren McGrew as they continue their examination of penal-substitutionary atonement (PSA), now focusing upon Anselm’s contributions to the model. Anselm expanded on Augustine of Hippo's first three claims by introducing three new tenets. Starting with claim number four, Anselm asserted that any sin, no matter how small, infinitely offends God due to God's high status as the one offended. This idea has been expanded upon by modern atonement theologians who describe any sin as an act of cosmic treason against God. Claim number five posits that all sin can be understood as a debt we owe to God due to having robbed Him of honor. Finally, claim number six states that infants also owe this debt, despite their inability to commit sin. The recurring theme in Anselm's claims is the immense offense caused by sinning against the infinite God.

The hosts explore the background of Anselm's life during the High Middle Ages, focusing on significant events that occurred during his formative years. Anselm lived during a time of great change, including the schism between the Eastern and Western churches in 1054 and the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Just prior to Anselm's birth, the Church had convoked the “Peace of God” and “Truce of God” councils to protect the vulnerable from noble violence. This period was consumed with the idea of social hierarchy, the royal family being at the top, followed by nobles, knights, the middle class, peasants, and agricultural slaves. Despite natural law's emphasis on equal justice under the law, Anselm's atonement theory held that some individuals merited more justice than others. Paul hypothesizes that Anselm's theological background and the socio-political climate of the High Middle Ages influenced his belief in an unequal distribution of justice. Warren concurs with Paul, criticizing Anselm’s for portraying God as more of a ruler than a merciful and just being, thereby distorting God's true nature.

Paul also highlights concerns over anthropomorphic elements in Anselm's ideas, like God being harmed by human actions, and unequal treatment based on societal status. Warren, though holding to a softer position on immutability, points to certain verses in Jeremiah and Malachi as evidence of God's disapproval of unequal weights and measures.

Debate ensues over the interpretation of certain biblical passages regarding the transmission of sins and guilt from parents to children. Paul notes that while Jeremiah 31;30 states that each person bears the responsibility for his own lawlessness, Jeremiah 32;18 implies that the sins of the fathers are passed on to their children. However, Paul notes that 32;18 cannot be read in a literal sense to mean that children inherit their parents' guilt, as this would contradict the former passage. Instead, Paul suggests that the "ramifications" or "byproducts" of the father's sins are passed on to the children, not the guilt itself.