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Is the God of Anselm unloving? A response to Eleonore Stump

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 August 2019

HAYDEN C. STEPHAN Open the ORCID record for HAYDEN C. STEPHAN [Opens in a new window]
HAYDEN C. STEPHAN*
Affiliation:
Saint Louis University, 3800 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO63108, USA
*
e-mail: hayden.stephan@slu.edu
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Abstract

In her recent book Atonement, Eleonore Stump objects to the Anselmian theory of atonement, claiming it is not consistent with God's love. I argue that her objection mischaracterizes Anselmian theories. First, Stump equivocates on the concept of forgiveness, conflating personal forgiveness with divine pardon, and second, Stump misrepresents the God of Anselm as unwilling to reconcile with sinners prior to receiving satisfaction. I suggest that Stump's real objection should be to the Anselmian view of divine justice as retributive, not to his conception of divine love. I suggest a model of an all-loving God acting as a retributive judge.

Type
Original Article
Information
Religious Studies , Volume 57 , Issue 3 , September 2021 , pp. 418 - 433
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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