God as Sacrificial Love: A Systematic Exploration of a Controversial Notion

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Description

In dialogue with a range of post-enlightenment critiques of Christian theologies regarding sacrificial love, Asle Eikrem presents an unconventional systematic approach to this multi-layered and complex theological topic. From Hegel to prominent 20th century theologians, from feminist theologies to postmodern philosophers, this volume engages in a critical conversation with a host of different voices on all the classical topics in theology (creation, trinity, incarnation, atonement, sin, faith, sacraments, and eschatology), also providing a moral and socio-historical vision for Christian living. The result is a unique appraisal of the significance that the life and death of Jesus holds for the world today.

Reviews

The complexity and thoroughness of his argumentation commends this monograph as a significant theological achievement that deserves an audience among those interested in modern theology, systematic theology, theology proper, soteriology, trinitarianism, and ethics. * Calvin Theological Journal *
A very rewarding book I learned a great deal from it ... For those prepared to engage at a deep level with the theology of sacrifice and who are prepared to have cherished theories of atonement put under the spotlight, this book will repay the time and effort demanded. * Anvil Journal *
This incisive and innovative analysis [of self-sacrifice] offers critical theological insight to scholars and practitioners alike ... [Eikrem] succeeds in offering a nuanced and thoughtful approach to self-sacrifice that gives careful attention to evade the problems of valorizing it while retaining a meaningful place for it in Christian thought ... An important contribution to the controversial topic ... Engaging both classical and contemporary sources, he deals with multiple pressing issues for 21st c. Christianity in a way that does them justice and continually points the reader back to less problematic understandings of love. * Theologische Literaturzeitung *
This book insightfully explores intersection points of philosophy and theology within the wider landscape of sacri cial discourse. Eikrem provides a sophisticated articulation of the concepts of sacri ce which rightly belong to Christian concepts of God and ideals of human ful llment, and a critical analysis of those concepts that emphatically do not. Scholarly readers will value this tightly argued study for its acute historical judgments, the breadth of its sources, and the ambition of its constructive systematic scope. * S. Mark Heim, Yale Divinity School, USA *
Asle Eikrem has provided the most comprehensive monograph on the sacrifical nature of Gods love in recent years. Without ignoring the fruits of the past centuries, he concentrates on the modern and postmodern discussions on sacrifice, love and violence. Careful and thorough analyses of Anglophone and Continental treatments of sacrificece are combined with the outline of his own position: In a compelling way, he shows that also explicitly non-sacrificial theologies rely on the logic of sacrifice (a kind of [self-]giving that implies exclusion or destruction) as a necessary condition of finite human communicative existence, because finite communication can only lead to unity through difference. * Markus Mhling, Leuphana University of Lneburg, Germany *

Author Bio

Asle Eikrem is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at MF Norwegian School of Theology, Norway.