The Christus Victor Model of Atonement

Abstract

The biblical theme and doctrine of atonement has been very important in Christian history. It has been explained from two major perspectives: the objective and subjective views. One of the objective views is the Christus Victor model which presents the atonement as a conflict between Christ and the powers of evil. However, this model has been misinterpreted, misunderstood, and overlooked through time especially after the period of the Church Fathers. This article aims to evaluate this model based on the biblical theology of atonement. It also seeks to briefly show its relevance for Christian life and theology.

Key Words: Atonement, model/theory, Christus Victor, victory, Jesus Christ, evil