The authors of this work compel us to take seriously an objective view of the cross of Christ; one that is not simply dependent on how we feel and what the culture around us promotes. The truth of the matter is that God has sent his Son, the eternal Word and the creative Wisdom, in human form so that he could stand in our place, do what we could not and would not do and by his obedience undo the wrongdoing of Adam and Eve. It is this radical act of obedience, with the cross as its climax and fulfilment, that turns away God’s anger from our wrongdoing, restores our relationship with the source of our being and makes us God’s beloved. The atonement is, of course, multi-faceted; Christ certainly defeated sin and conquered the powers of evil. He is an example to us as we carry our own crosses in following him and the cross manifests the extent of God’s love for us. There would, however, be no sanctification, no transformation of self or society, no working out of the social, economic and political implications of the cross unless the fundamental transaction between God and ourselves had been completed and the impasse caused by sin broken by our representative, substitute and champion. Thanks be to God.

Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester