
Contents
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Sacrifice in the Life and Writing of St. Paul Sacrifice in the Life and Writing of St. Paul
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Sacrifice in New Testament Gospels Sacrifice in New Testament Gospels
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Death of Christ as Sacrifice in Epistle to the Hebrews Death of Christ as Sacrifice in Epistle to the Hebrews
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Polemic against Sacrifice in Gnostic Christian Writings Polemic against Sacrifice in Gnostic Christian Writings
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Sacrifice in Early Martyrs: Polycarp and Perpetua Sacrifice in Early Martyrs: Polycarp and Perpetua
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Sacrifice in Orthodox Theology: Athanasius and Anselm Sacrifice in Orthodox Theology: Athanasius and Anselm
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Displacement of Sacrifice: Abelard Displacement of Sacrifice: Abelard
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Mystical Self-Sacrifice: Thomas à Kempis and Teresa of Avila Mystical Self-Sacrifice: Thomas à Kempis and Teresa of Avila
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Eucharist as Sacrament or Memorial: Aquinas, Calvin, and the Second Vatican Council Eucharist as Sacrament or Memorial: Aquinas, Calvin, and the Second Vatican Council
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Sacrifice as “Moral Influence”: Horace Bushnell to Martin Luther King, Jr. Sacrifice as “Moral Influence”: Horace Bushnell to Martin Luther King, Jr.
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4 Sacrifice in Christian Tradition
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Published:September 2017
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Abstract
Sacrifice is pervasive in Christian theology and ethics, as the redemptive significance of Christ’s death and as the ideal of self-giving love. Paul emphasizes both meanings in his letters, and the Gospels of the New Testament focus on the sacrificial death of Christ as the climax of their narratives. The Epistle to the Hebrews interprets Christ’s death as the fulfillment and displacement of Israelite ritual sacrifices for atonement of sins. That approach was opposed by Gnostic Christians who located Christ’s significance in his esoteric knowledge leading to immortality; thus, they regarded martyrdom as foolish. Nevertheless, the dominant Christian view honored martyrs, such as Polycarp and Perpetua, as models of imitation of Christ (imitatio Christi). Sacrifice is the primary category in the orthodox theology of Athanasius and Anselm, but Abelard replaced it with a moral influence theory of atonement. Christian mystics, like Teresa of Avila, appropriated sacrifice as the ideal of self-erasure in union with transcendence. Controversy over the Eucharist erupted in the Protestant Reformation, but the Roman Catholic Church continues to regard it as a sacrifice. Finally, Abelard’s view of Jesus’s death as exerting moral suasion was revived in the theology and social activism of Martin Luther King, Jr.
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