Union with Christ and the Extent of the Atonement in Calvin

Download or read book Union with Christ and the Extent of the Atonement in Calvin written by Kevin Dixon Kennedy and published by Peter Lang Incorporated, International Academic Publishers. This book was released on 2002 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses the question regarding whether John Calvin (1509-1564) taught that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the entire world or, as later Calvinists taught, that Christ died only for the sins of the elect. In contrast to the theologies of later Calvinists that placed far too much emphasis upon the transactional nature of Christ's sacrificial death, Calvin's theology stressed the more intrapersonal relationship that exists in the union of the believer with Christ. It was Calvin's utilization of the concept of the believer's union with Christ that allowed him to hold to a view of the atonement that was both universal and substitutionary concepts that later Calvinists argue are incompatible.