Even More Moved

It’s common to divide atonement theories into subjective and objective theories, and to classify Calvin’s atonement theology as a slight variant from Anselm’s objective theory.

Stephen Edmondson thinks otherwise (Calvin’s Christology, 110-1). He doesn’t question that Calvin stresses the objective character of the passion: “In his expiatory sacrifice, Christ has covered our sin and destroyed it. In his free offer of himself in our place, he has paid the price that we owe and satisfied our debt before God. In his judgment and punishment in our place, he has borne God’s wrath for us and defeated the armies of hell and the fear of death that oppress us. Christ in his passion and death has removed the barrier of sin and guilt that separated a fallen humanity from God, without any aid from fallen humanity, and thus opened the way for a renewed relationship with God. In him the covenant has been restored, and this restoration is the foundation for any appropriation of the covenant relationship with which we may be involved.”

On the other hand, though, the subjective dimension “appears at times to drive his development of this doctrine.” Edmondson writes, “although he acknowledges the objective purpose of Christ’s incarnation and death in chapters twelve and sixteen of the Institutes, he begins his explanations of the necessity of the incarnation and of the relation of Christ’s death to God’s saving love with attention to this subjective concern – it was necessary for the Son to take on a human nature so that we could ‘hope that God might dwell with us.’ Scripture speaks of God’s wrath toward us apart from Christ so that we might learn ‘to embrace his benevolence and fatherly love in Christ alone.’” Edmonson points out that “Calvin makes the transition from his discussion  of Christ’s obedience to consideration of his death with just such attention to the effect of that death on us.” God’s intention in sending His Son was to overcome our fear and to calm our conscience. 

Like most atonement theories, Calvin’s, when examined in detail, surpasses any simple opposition of objective and subjective.