During the summer of 2012, I completed my book on salvation in the Bible that I have worked on for a number of years, with the title, Instead of Atonement: The Bible’s Salvation Story and Our Hope for Wholeness.  Here is a pdf of the entire book. The book was published by Cascade Books, Spring 2013. [Here is the book on Amazon.] I posted an earlier draft of the book as well as a set of September 12, 2009 lectures presented at the London Mennonite Centre that were a kind of summary of the book.  I have added the final versions of chapters 11 and 12. Those lectures are posted here in an unedited version. Just recently I have posted a number of short essays on the theme of salvation on my Thinking Pacifism blog (with some good discussion with various readers—see the links below).

SUMMARY OF THE BOOK’S ARGUMENT

1. Salvation and the way of peace—(1) The problem

2. Salvation and the way of peace—(2) The Old Testament

3. Salvation and the way of peace—(3) Jesus’s life and teaching

4. Salvation and the way of peace—(4) Jesus’s death and resurrection

5. Salvation and the way of peace—(5) Romans and Revelation

6. Salvation and the way of peace—(6) Is there an atonement theory in this story?

My response to a critical review of the book—with an extensive response from the reviewer.

BOOK CHAPTERS from 2004 draft

1. Violence as a Theological Problem

2. Salvation in the Old Testament

3. Guardians for the Way of Wholeness: Salvation in the Prophets

4. Jesus’ Teaching on Salvation

5. The Death of Jesus

6. Jesus’ Death and the Powers: Cultural Exclusivism (Law)

7. Jesus’ Death and the Powers: Religious Institutionalism (Temple)

8. Jesus’ Death and the Powers: Political Authoritarianism (Empire)

9. Jesus Brings Salvation

10. God’s Saving Justice: Paul and Salvation

from 2012 draft

11. Salvation Through Revelation

12. Is There an Atonement Model in This Story?

LONDON LECTURES (September 2009)

1. Salvation From or By Violence

2. Salvation in the Old Testament

3. Jesus’ Teaching on Salvation

4. Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

5. Salvation in Romans and Revelation

THINKING PACIFISM blog posts

Does Jesus’ Death Have Meaning? (December 11, 2011)

Jesus’ Death and My Salvation (December 18, 2011)

Does Paul Agree with Jesus about Salvation? (December 23, 2011)

Christian Salvation: Do the Questions Never End? (January 1, 2012)

Are All Sins the Same Before God? (January 27, 2012)

Christian Salvation: More and More Questions, Part 1 (February 5, 2012)

Christian Salvation: More and More Questions, Part 2 (February 8, 2012)

Christian Salvation: More and More Questions, Part 3 (February 10, 2012)

Reflecting on Jesus’ Cross (April 6, 2012)

The Bible’s Salvation Story (August 13, 2012)

A Message to President Obama About Salvation (August 14, 2012)

Christian Salvation—Part One: Problems with Atonement (September 14, 2015)

Christian Salvation—Part Two: Old Testament Mercy