What do you think?
Rate this book
Executing God: Rethinking Everything You've Been Taught about Salvation and the Cross
Why did God have to murder his only son to pay our debts? What kind of vengeful, violent God can only be satisfied by vicarious blood atonement? In Executing God , theologian Sharon Baker presents a biblically based and theologically sound critique of popular theories of the atonement. Concerned about the number of acts of violence performed in the name of God, Baker challenges cultural assumptions about the death of Jesus and its meaning to Christians. She ultimately offers a constructive alternate view of atonement based on God's forgiveness that opens up salvation to a wider group of people.
216 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2013
19 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 23, 2013
Executing God: Rethinking Everything You've Been Taught about Salvation and the Cross by Sharon L. Baker, and published by Westminster John Knox Press (December 2013) is a book that is written primarily for the general audience.
It is a sincere and honest attempt by the author, Sharon L. Baker, who is an associate professor of theology and religion, to answer difficult questions which are too complicated for the secular mind to fathom, and comprehend. It is not an exhaustive academic treatise on the atonement but is a book written in the language of the curious, intelligent and engaged lay reader.
It is not a book that focuses on the expertise and knowledge of the author on the subject but a thoughtful book that is centered on the message of a loving God who sacrificially gives up receiving a payback for sin, who is satisfied by a justice that reconciles and restores relationships, who sees to it that mercy triumphs over judgment, and whose love for enemies works to win them over with grace, mercy and compassion.
You will enjoy chapters like “God Gone Bad? Religion Gone Bad?” and “Re-Tuning At-one-moment.” You’ll also enjoy the introduction where the author introduces herself as, “Once upon a time I was a fundamentalist, Southern Baptist, and I had God all figured out.”
It is a sincere and honest attempt by the author, Sharon L. Baker, who is an associate professor of theology and religion, to answer difficult questions which are too complicated for the secular mind to fathom, and comprehend. It is not an exhaustive academic treatise on the atonement but is a book written in the language of the curious, intelligent and engaged lay reader.
It is not a book that focuses on the expertise and knowledge of the author on the subject but a thoughtful book that is centered on the message of a loving God who sacrificially gives up receiving a payback for sin, who is satisfied by a justice that reconciles and restores relationships, who sees to it that mercy triumphs over judgment, and whose love for enemies works to win them over with grace, mercy and compassion.
You will enjoy chapters like “God Gone Bad? Religion Gone Bad?” and “Re-Tuning At-one-moment.” You’ll also enjoy the introduction where the author introduces herself as, “Once upon a time I was a fundamentalist, Southern Baptist, and I had God all figured out.”
March 28, 2014
Would give this more stars if I could! A fascinating exploration of metaphors of the atonement -- how Jesus accomplished salvation for human beings (and reconciliation with God) through his life, death and resurrection. Baker, a Christian theology professor, maintains a deep value for scripture and Jesus' saving work -- though she calls us to reconsider the layers of interpretation we've added to this action. I found the book wise, balanced, respectful and profoundly helpful. It gives handles for understanding God's saving work apart from the "need" for violence. I believe this book is increasingly important for faith conversation, especially among the "nones."
October 28, 2024
In Razing Hell, author and professor Sharon Baker tackled the problem of how a loving and all-forgiving God could condemn people to eternal torment in Hell. In that tome, she also discussed the concept of atonement and Christianity's long-held belief that God required Jesus to be brutally sacrificed as payment for humanity's sins.
In Executing God, Baker concentrates on the Atonement, arguing that God did not and does not require repayment -- does not require a pound of flesh -- before being able to forgive. God's love and forgiveness is absolute. Jesus' death was, indeed, a sacrifice, but one of love and of demonstrating God's uncompromised love for all of humanity. It was not, however, a requirement for God's restored love or forgiveness.
If you hold to the "retributive" view of the atonement, this book is well worth a read.
In Executing God, Baker concentrates on the Atonement, arguing that God did not and does not require repayment -- does not require a pound of flesh -- before being able to forgive. God's love and forgiveness is absolute. Jesus' death was, indeed, a sacrifice, but one of love and of demonstrating God's uncompromised love for all of humanity. It was not, however, a requirement for God's restored love or forgiveness.
If you hold to the "retributive" view of the atonement, this book is well worth a read.
January 21, 2019
Hallelujah
This magnificent book is for those of us who have agonized over the thought of God killing Jesus to redeem the world. Her clear, logical,
passionate arguments offer a viable and healing alternative.
This magnificent book is for those of us who have agonized over the thought of God killing Jesus to redeem the world. Her clear, logical,
passionate arguments offer a viable and healing alternative.
November 8, 2015
I read this book for a lay-worship leader study I'm doing and it was pretty excellent. While I suspect that the author, Baker, and I work through our understandings of the meaning of the crucifixion and resurrection from different theological understandings, we come to the same place - AND I have to give her credit that she looks at things I have previously seen as problematic, from a point of view that opens my mind to their place in our theology. And any book that can put a more loving and less violent spin on the at-one-ing work of Jesus, and broaden my own horizons to where some of the thornier parts of traditional Christian theology have a place in our more progressive view and as such enables us to speak - and perhaps educate - the same language as other Christians, is always very valuable.
As an example, I have found the idea of the sacredness of Christ's blood in particular to be troubling - that a loving God would need blood spilled - and innocent, divine blood at that - in order to forgive and love us, to me, is absurd. But here, Baker discusses how 'blood' in the days of the Bible would have been tantamount to 'life' - so really, what's "sacred" when we talk about the blood is Jesus' life, which he offers for God right to the end. She also does similar reinterpretation of original sin/"The Fall", and the idea of Jesus dying for our sins. The idea that we are all responsible - including innocent little babies just newly born - for the disobedience of a couple of people millennia ago is incredibly problematic ... but when we consider that all human beings are flawed, prone to imperfection and brokenness, and that our divine calling is to work through that and into right relationship with humanity, creation, and the Divine, well ... that makes sense. And while again, I find it not a particularly inspiring story to think that Jesus died "for" our sins - God needed his violent and painful death so we could be cool in the holy books - to say that Jesus died "of" our sins - our jealousies, our misunderstandings, our greed, our hunger for power, our violence ... well, again. That is a useful reinterpretation, and a lesson to us all. Especially some of today's hard-right Christians who, let's be honest, would be the first to string up this Middle Eastern radical if he were around today.
So again - while Sharon Baker is coming to her theology from a different perspective than mine (while I have always been a progressive who considers Jesus' divinity to lie more in the example he set for us in life, and the immortality of his message after his death, she, as a "recovering fundamentalist" has had to do some heavy work reconciling some harder theology into this new framework), I'm glad she did, as there are plenty of references to the above things throughout the Bible, and Christianity, and I appreciate someone doing the hard work to find the progressive interpretation of them, where I have always found it easier to sort of glide past them and focus on the hope in the resurrection. It has been awhile since I've read a good progressive Christian text that still challenges me, and this one did ... which I enjoyed, and appreciated.
As an example, I have found the idea of the sacredness of Christ's blood in particular to be troubling - that a loving God would need blood spilled - and innocent, divine blood at that - in order to forgive and love us, to me, is absurd. But here, Baker discusses how 'blood' in the days of the Bible would have been tantamount to 'life' - so really, what's "sacred" when we talk about the blood is Jesus' life, which he offers for God right to the end. She also does similar reinterpretation of original sin/"The Fall", and the idea of Jesus dying for our sins. The idea that we are all responsible - including innocent little babies just newly born - for the disobedience of a couple of people millennia ago is incredibly problematic ... but when we consider that all human beings are flawed, prone to imperfection and brokenness, and that our divine calling is to work through that and into right relationship with humanity, creation, and the Divine, well ... that makes sense. And while again, I find it not a particularly inspiring story to think that Jesus died "for" our sins - God needed his violent and painful death so we could be cool in the holy books - to say that Jesus died "of" our sins - our jealousies, our misunderstandings, our greed, our hunger for power, our violence ... well, again. That is a useful reinterpretation, and a lesson to us all. Especially some of today's hard-right Christians who, let's be honest, would be the first to string up this Middle Eastern radical if he were around today.
So again - while Sharon Baker is coming to her theology from a different perspective than mine (while I have always been a progressive who considers Jesus' divinity to lie more in the example he set for us in life, and the immortality of his message after his death, she, as a "recovering fundamentalist" has had to do some heavy work reconciling some harder theology into this new framework), I'm glad she did, as there are plenty of references to the above things throughout the Bible, and Christianity, and I appreciate someone doing the hard work to find the progressive interpretation of them, where I have always found it easier to sort of glide past them and focus on the hope in the resurrection. It has been awhile since I've read a good progressive Christian text that still challenges me, and this one did ... which I enjoyed, and appreciated.
January 2, 2014
This is a fabulous read!
I love it when theology professors explain multiple theories and viewpoints and then provide the strengths and weaknesses of each view before clearly providing an alternate option. My theology professor lectured this way and I thrived in his classes!
Baker tackles another controversial idea (previously, she debated hell) with the theological theory of atonement.
Now before you move on to another review, please understand that this book does not read at all like a college lecture. Everything about this book is about getting the information/ideas to you quickly and easily. Baker does a great job using everyday language. It almost feels like a conversation you'd have at your coffee table...almost because, come on, she's talking about Atonement!
Some of her theories may cause a few Christians to squirm - "did God send Jesus to die?" "if God forgives, why did Jesus have to die a brutal death? What does that say about forgiveness?" She asks these questions and so many more that kept me reading with joy! I love to be challenged in my long-held beliefs. Just because I may not agree with everything she writes doesn't mean I can't thoroughly enjoy her writing.
The basic premise for this book is Baker's faith in Jesus as the best representation of God. And if Jesus is the best representation of God, then how do we reconcile the God of compassion, love, and forgiveness we find in Jesus and the God who demands payment(death) in order to extend his forgiveness?
Proponents of substitutionary atonement theories will not enjoy this book. They may even deem Baker a heretic. But you have to give this book a shot. It would do any Bible scholar as well as general seeker good to explore the ideas presented here.
This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Westminster John Knox Press.
January 7, 2017
I was expecting a different book. I'm only a little vaguely familiar with Baker, but from the title I was expecting more of a Rob Bell, "What We Think About When We Think About God," changing the definition of God.
The book is a theories of atonement book, that is, theories of why Jesus and the cruxifiction bring us closer to God... why did it work? She lays out many of the other theories that Christians have believed over the centuries, and concludes with her own theory.
Where the book excels is in explaining why it matters. In Baker's view, the most popular theory right now actually says terrible things about God, and causes us to do terrible things.
As an aside, the e-book I purchased from Google Play, was only downloadable as a PDF, with an almost unreadably small font. Since my e-ink reader doesn't support the Google Play app, I do regret my purchase.
The book is a theories of atonement book, that is, theories of why Jesus and the cruxifiction bring us closer to God... why did it work? She lays out many of the other theories that Christians have believed over the centuries, and concludes with her own theory.
Where the book excels is in explaining why it matters. In Baker's view, the most popular theory right now actually says terrible things about God, and causes us to do terrible things.
As an aside, the e-book I purchased from Google Play, was only downloadable as a PDF, with an almost unreadably small font. Since my e-ink reader doesn't support the Google Play app, I do regret my purchase.
April 3, 2015
This is a great book that puts atonement focus on Kingdom Living and Christ's entire life. It challenges the traditional views of atonement which I believe is needed. It's written in a very down to earth manner, so even those who are not theological, can easily understand. I highly recommend it!
February 8, 2016
Great book for a popular audience. Really drives the point home about the need for a different view on atonement. To me, she doesn't quite answer the questions that she states in the beginning. And how does the death of a man thousands of years ago impact me today? She doesn't bridge that gap well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2021
This is a very good book that challenges the assumptions of most evangelicals in the United States. Her point that those who view God as violent often resort to terrible violence themselves is an important one.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews