This is an excerpt from “Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment” by Bradley Gray (1517 Publishing, 2023).

Hey Man, Nice Shot. In this episode, we discuss Rene Girard’s argument for why Jesus’ death as a scapegoat is unique to all other sacrifices in human history. What is violence for? What is a scapegoat, and why is one necessary for peace and good order? How does Jesus break the law machinery that demands a victim?

What might Christians of the Reformation tradition think of claims like these about the nature of salvation?

Maundy Thursday is your big night. For the Passover Lamb is given for you, given to you.

Caleb Keith joins Kelsi to discuss Christ's atonement and the most common theories of the atonement, including Substitution, Christus Victor, and Exemplar or Moral.

You are not alone if you find it difficult to wrap your mind around the auspices of the Old Testament sacrificial system.

The needs of the people remain the same, but now the people are you and me. We still sin, and that sin causes so many challenges in our lives.

Forty days after giving birth, Mary, along with her husband Joseph, presented their firstborn Son at the temple and "bought" him back with a sacrifice of two small birds. This is known as the "Presentation of Our Lord."

Christ our Word, as with a two-edged sword, burst the devil's belly.

It’s the notion of mercy that leads us to the atonement, and it is the atonement that provides a foundational basis for the justification of sinners.