Embracing an Alternative Orthodoxy Participant's Workbook

Richard Rohr on the Legacy of St. Francis

Richard Rohr, Tim Scorer, Tim Scorer

• Publisher: Church Publishing
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781606741405
• eBook ISBN: 9781606741498
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Ministry

• 5-to-10-week study for adults and young adults with appealing video format that prompts engagement and response. • Each participant uses his/her own journal for study and reflection. Each program in this series features two components sold separately: (1) A DVD with five 10-15 minute presentations (one per group), in this case showing Fr. Richard Rohr interacting with a small group of adults, and (2) a participant workbook containing all the material needed by class participants as well as for the facilitator (one each). In this edition, Richard Rohr explores five topics central to Franciscan theology and practice:

• Atonement Theory
• Eco-Spirituality
• The Christ who Existed before Christianity
• Orthopraxy vs. Verbal Orthodoxy (Living Like Jesus)
• Mysticism over Moralism

DVD sold separately- item 846863020065

SESSION

1

ATONEMENT THEOLOGY

BEFORE THE SESSION

Many participants like to come to the group conversation after considering individually some of the issues that will be raised. The following five reflective activities are intended to open your mind, memories and emotions regarding some aspects of this session’s topic. Use the space provided here to note your reflections.

1. Traditional atonement theology can be summed up by the roadside sign that announces “Jesus died for our sins.” This theology requires that there be a transaction—a deal—so that God can love what God created. God’s acceptance is purchased through the death of Jesus. Where have you encountered this theology? What place does it have in your belief system and in your faith community?
2. An alternative view of atonement (at-one-ment) tells us that God’s love has always come without conditions and still does. No deal is necessary. As you go through these days, engaged in the ordinary tasks of living, watch for signs of the overwhelming, unconditional love that God has for the creation, for you and for all that you choose to love.
3. Jesus models for us a life path that is all about letting go of illusion and pretense (the small false self ) and embracing the fullness of life—including death—in a way that the true self has space to emerge and to be known ever more fully. How is your “self ” doing as you follow this Christ path from the false to the true?
4. Quid Pro Quo names a way of dealing with things “tit for tat”—an eye for an eye. Retributive justice is like that, ensuring that the wrongdoer be adequately punished according to the laws of the state. Restorative justice, on the other hand, focuses on the just restoration of relationship in which the concerns of all those affected by the wrong done are addressed. Restorative justice makes space for the exercise of grace. Where have you seen grace being given space to make a difference recently?
5. Richard Rohr is a Franciscan friar, hence the subtitle of this series: “On the Legacy of St. Francis.” What can you find out through the Internet about the following: Rohr, Franciscans, St. Francis.

GROUP LIFE

The theme of this study is “Embracing An Alternative Orthodoxy.” You have come together as a group, ready to uncover some responses to this question: What are the dynamics of alternative orthodoxy in the second decade of the 21st century?

If this is a new group meeting for the first time, take a few minutes to introduce yourselves in two ways:

• by telling your name
• by telling one thing that attracted you to participate in this program

In September of 2013, another group met in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to learn with Richard Rohr and to grapple with the same issues that are on your agenda for these five sessions.

Moving from left to right as you will see them on the screen, they are Tim Scorer (moderator and author of this study guide), Doug Travis, Jennifer Murphy-Dye, Joe Alarid, Suzanne Gutierrez, Raymond Raney and Fr. Richard Rohr. You won’t hear from each person in every session, but over the course of five sessions you will hear contributions from all six participants in the group.

Before selecting from the following options, watch the entire portion of the DVD for Session 1.

OPTION 1: COMING TO TERMS WITH ATONEMENT

Historical Background to Two Approaches to Atonement

Franciscans had an alternative understanding of the atonement from their inception 800 years ago. The Roman Church did not deem this heretical. In the broad-mindedness of the 13th Century, it was possible to have a minority position as well as a majority one without anyone being kicked out of the Church.

Mainline Protestantism by and large fully accepted the majority position on atonement. Because Franciscans were something of a sideshow within Catholicism, they were never as invested in it as most evangelical Christians are today.

1. Richard Rohr on the Majority Position on Atonement

Some insights that Richard offers in his introduction:

• The mainline position on atonement that anyone in any denomination has probably been influenced by is summed up in the phrase you see on highway signs: “Jesus died for our sins.”
• Traditional atonement theology claims that there needed to be a transaction for God to love what God created. God’s love had to be purchased in some way.
• This theology is based on many quotes from the New Testament where this kind of language is being used: ransom, satisfaction, paying the price and died for us.
• In the first 1,000 years of Christianity, the normal Christian consensus was that the debt was being paid to the devil.
• It was Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109) who, in his paper Cur Deus Homo (Why Did God Become Human), made a case for the debt being paid to God, not the devil.
• Atonement made sense to Jewish people from their experience of Temple sacrifice, where there was some transaction necessary because the language and metaphors were already part of their tradition.

2. The Franciscan Minority Position on Atonement Theology

Having offered an introduction to traditional atonement theology, Richard then proceeds to offer a critique of it by presenting the Franciscan view of atonement beginning with a quote from Franciscan John Duns Scotus, one of the most important philosopher-theologians of the High Middle Ages:

Jesus did not come to change the mind of God about humanity, but to change the mind of humanity about God.

Here are seven quotes from Richard’s presentation of the minority Franciscan position on atonement:

1: God organically loved what God created from the first moment of the Big Bang. There was an inherent love relationship between God and creation. God wanted to show God’s Self in material creation.

2: The Christ existed from all eternity. The Christ was the first idea in the mind of God.

3: Jesus is the image of the invisible God from all eternity. There is simply a union to be named: at-one-ment.

4: The first idea in the mind of God is to reveal who God is. Jesus is the revelation of God’s Plan A. Jesus is not a mop-up exercise after Adam and Eve ate that darn apple!

5: When we say in traditional atonement theology that there needs to be a transaction for God to love what God created, we create a barrier to mystical thinking and to the understanding of the unconditional love of God.

6: The traditional atonement theory doesn’t say much good about God. It suggests that God doesn’t have an inherent love for what God created; God is “pissed off,” so to speak.

7: No transaction was necessary. No blood sacrifice was necessary. No atonement is necessary. There is no bill to be paid.

1. Richard states:

When you make these challenges to traditional atonement theology people feel like you’re taking away their faith because many people have based their understanding of Jesus on this.

This may be true for you too. Perhaps this challenge to traditional atonement theology comes as a shock. It may take a while to fully absorb Richard’s challenge and to consider the implications for your own theology. What impact does Richard’s critique of atonement theology have on you?

2. Now that we have these two conflicting approaches to atonement laid out so clearly, what do you affirm for yourself about these matters:

• God and creation
• Christ in creation
• Jesus as revelation
• the death of Jesus
• atonement vs. at-one-ment

3. Richard says:

When we say in atonement theology that there needs to be a transaction for God to love what God created, we create a barrier to mystical thinking and to the understanding of the unconditional love of God.

In other words, there can be no conditions on God’s love. That love existed from the beginning for all creation, and it is still here for you billions of years later. It did not need to be bought, and it will never need to be bought. What convinces you of the love of God, fully present with no conditions?

OPTION 2: THE SELF-EMPTYING WAY

Doug asks:

Jesus asks that the cup be passed and then goes on to say, “nevertheless, not my will but your will.” So he willingly dies. There is implicit in that a notion that, in some measure, God required of Jesus that he die. How does that fit in to plan A?

Richard responds:

I wouldn’t say that God required it. I would say that reality requires the letting go of what I call the “false self.” Reality requires the letting go of illusion and pretense. In my Christology I would say that Jesus died willingly, surrendering the Jesus “small self ” so the Christ “universal self ” could be born. In doing that he models for all of us the same path. I know this isn’t attractive to Western Christians, but death is part of the deal. That’s not a negative statement, a morbid, punishing or threatening statement. It’s just that animals know it, trees know it—the cycles of death and life. What we see in Jesus is a willing surrendering to that, an embracing of that.

Raymond adds:

Paul talks about Jesus emptying himself—in Greek, kenosis. The actual atonement that Jesus did was the emptying of himself to do what God wanted.

Richard responds:

You name it that way, and suddenly Buddhists take notice. We’re saying the same thing and, of course, if truth is one (as it has to be or it’s not truth), wouldn’t that make sense that the great religions are coming to very similar conclusions. So using that word “emptying” from Philippians is right on if we see it as an entire process of self-emptying instead of a dramatic three hours on the cross. For some Christian denominations the first 30 years of Jesus’ life mean nothing: his teaching can be ignored. It’s just those last three hours. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but it ...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Quick Guide to the Handbook
• Beyond the “Quick Guide”
• Pointers on Facilitation
• Session 1: Atonement Theology
• Session 2: Eco-Spirituality
• Session 3: The Cosmic Christ
• Session 4: Orthodoxy vs. Orthopraxy
• Session 5: Mysticism over Moralism
• Suggested Resources
• Backcover Page