Revisiting the Somatic Death Objection to Penal Substitution: Original Sin and the Nature of Consequences

In an essay titled ‘The Logic of Reparative Substitution: Contemporary Restitution Models of Atonement, Divine Justice, and Somatic Death,’ Joshua Farris and S. Mark Hamilton articulate a largely ignored objection to the penal substitutionary atonement theory: the Somatic Death Objection. In this essay I respond to Farris and Hamilton’s Somatic Death Objection by appealing to the doctrine of original sin and the distinction between, what I call, mere consequences and penal consequences. I begin by defining the model in question: Penal Substitutionary Atonement. I then examine the Somatic Death Objection as Farris and Hamilton articulate it. Having done this, I provide two eschatologically based responses to the objection but argue that these responses are found wanting for various reasons. Finally, I turn to the doctrine of original sin and the distinction between mere consequences and penal consequences to argue that the Somatic Death Objection need not undermine penal substitution.

Flowers of evil: Constructing the wicked in Wisdom of Solomon

The distinction between the good and the wicked is common in wisdom literature. Although the distinction can be viewed as ubiquitous, I would like to problematize it by considering the literary device deployed in constructing the archetypes of the good and the wicked. Specifically, I analyze the depiction of the wicked in chapters 1–6 in Wisdom of Solomon and argue that the construction of the wicked in Wisdom is indispensable in understanding how the righteous obtain wisdom through divine protection and acceptance of divine provision. First, I offer a close reading of the text, mainly Chapters 1–6, and parse out the ways of depicting the wicked in Wisdom of Solomon. In particular, I highlight the “collectivity” of the crowd, as opposed to a “single” righteous individual or group. Social theories of the crowd are critical to my formulation of the characteristics of the wicked. Second, I examine the relationship between the wicked and the righteous, and propose the idea of “a mirror effect” in these antithetical depictions. The mirror effect exhibits didactic values, as it instructs one to pursue righteousness and shun from evil. Third, I focus on the interaction between God, the righteous, and the wicked and suggest that divine intervention in helping the righteous stand firm among the wicked manifests both divine justice and divine mercy.

Ahistorical interpretation of the Torah narratives in the Wisdom of Solomon

The traditional scholarly title (since the early twentieth century) for the last section of the Wisdom of Solomon, chapters 11–19 (or for some, 10–19) is the “Book of History.” This is a misleading designation because the author of the Wisdom of Solomon chose to present certain events from the exodus and wilderness traditions of ancient Israel not in the context of a continuous historical narrative, but rather as paradigmatic examples of God’s justice and mercy toward both the righteous and the ungodly. The purpose of the second half of the Wisdom of Solomon is pedagogical and apologetic rather than historical. The author’s avoidance of proper names and the consistent division of humanity in moral terms (the righteous vs the ungodly/unrighteous) rather than along ethnic lines (Israel vs Egyptians or Canaanites) should be taken seriously as an effort to universalize the lessons of Israel’s stories. The consistent message of both the antitheses and the excurses in chapters 11–19 is that God manifests both justice and mercy in disciplining human beings (both the righteous and the unrighteous) with suffering. Thus, it would be preferable to call chapters 11–19 either the “Book of Discipline” or the “Book of Divine Justice and Mercy.”

Jeremiah’s Deathscapes

This chapter explores the rhetorical structures of the book of Jeremiah with regard to its message of violent destruction—a topic that the chapter defines under the heading of “deathscape.” This term is defined as having two sub-strands: embodiment and spatiality. Jeremiah contains much material relating to the experiences of the central prophetic figure, which provides a solid textual resource for examining how the human person is impacted by the task of proclaiming terror and loss. The Confessions especially display a persona traumatized by this task. At the same time, land is rendered desolate, alongside the human inhabitants. Spatiality provides a tool for reading urban destruction via the lens of a withered landscape. Reading Jeremiah as a single work employs the methodological lens of rhetorical criticism, examining the way in which violent imagery expresses the link between historical events and literary depictions of the impact of warfare. Seeking for the cause of great suffering, Jeremiah locates it in the action of divine justice, a manner of providing order for chaos that renders the deity monstrous since it is the divine sphere that contextualizes unbearable human pain. Evaluation of Jeremiah’s urban imaginary aligns not only with material events but also with responses from differing audiences and parallel subject areas, such as gender, disability, and colonialism. Ultimately, the chapter suggests, further reflection on the inanimate agency of urban environments in creating textual poetics of deathscape will be useful.

Divine Justice and the Issue of Evil in Sahifa Al-Sajjadiyya

The issue of "divine justice", which is the one of the most important doctrinal principles and a characteristic of the theological religions such Shiite and Mu'tazilite, in fact is one of the Perfect Attributes of Allah and due to its indescribable importance, it has a special place in doctrinal discussions. On the other hand, the existence of evils and calamities, poverty and deprivation, oppression and disease and moral corruption, and even the manner of punishment in the hereafter, always raises doubts in the human mind and calls into question Allah's justice. The generality of such suspicions has led Islamic thinkers to solve these problems in defense of divine justice. In this regard, the present study seeks to use the words of the fourth Shiite Imam in the divine invocations of the complete Sahifa Al_ Sajjadiyya, to achieve the theological foundations to solve some evil doubts in the realm of creation and the human world. The method of collecting materials in this research is library and the research method is "descriptive -analytical". After investigations, it became clear that from Imam Sajjad's point of view, neglecting and inclining the soul to the world and other than Allah, and consequently being caught in the trap of the devil and carnal soul, and contamination with sin and transgression, is the real evil. According to him, the divine test and punishment and return to the truth, the flourishing of talents and the appreciation of blessings are the benefits of evil and suffering. also meanings such as: the inherent richness of the Almighty, the bestowal of goodness and abundant blessings, the guidance of the servants to the good religion and the punishment of the same action in the prayers of Imam (A.S), all three types of genetic justice, legislative justice and criminal justice can be proved.

Divine Righteousness and Forgiveness: The Old Testament Background of Hilastērion in Romans 3:25

We Start With An Analysis Of The Term Righteousness Of God In Romans 3:21–26. The Righteousness As A Gift To Believers (genitive Of Source, Verses 21–22) Is Founded On The Righteousness That Characterizes His Being (subjective Genitive, Verses 24–25). However, God’s Righteousness Should Not Always Be Interpreted As God’s Covenantal Faithfulness. For The Apostle, Divine Righteousness Brings Salvation And Leads To Judgment, As It Does In The Old Testament. There The Hilastērion, The Ark Cover, Brings These Attributes Together. After Investigating The Background, We Describe Paul’s Use Of The Image (Rom 3:25) With The Help Of Jewish Sources. In Christ, Divine Justice And Mercy Come Together In This Image. Finally, We Ask To Whom It Applies. KEYWORDS: (Day Of) Atonement, Forgiveness, Jewish Sources, Mercy Seat, Propitiation, Romans 3, Righteousness Of God, Hilastērion, Reconciliation, Sacrifice

Divine Justice and Sublime Suffering

This chapter shows how Melville draws on the book of Job to discuss issues of divine justice and human suffering. It argues that Melville uses the language and themes of Job to evaluate divine jurisprudence from the vantage point of the human plaintiff, celebrating human perseverance and indicting the arbitrariness of divinely mandated suffering. After sketching out the book of Job’s textual history, the chapter discusses in turn Mardi, Moby-Dick, “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” and The Encantadas on these grounds, detailing how Melville uses typology and intertextual reference to examine the Bible and to apply his findings to comment on natural, social, and cultural phenomena. It concludes that Melville sees the book of Job as a story not of defiance and repentance but of the learning and growth that occur in precisely the moment when one’s preconceptions and expectations of reality are shattered.

Introduction

This introduction to the review symposium on Ryan Patrick Hanley’s works on the relatively neglected early modern philosopher François Fénelon (1651–1715) provides a brief overview of the symposium itself before turning to Hanley’s treatment of Fénelon’s work on the intersection of politics and religion, culminating in a comparison of Fénelon with his most celebrated admirer, Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The article sketches how both francophone thinkers employ conceptions of divine justice as a measure to counter the dangers of amour-propre, contrasting Fénelon’s thick theology with Rousseau’s thin theology.