James Cone: Cross and the lynching tree

In this special Easter episode, Will Small and Mitch Forbes explore the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection beyond traditional frameworks. They discuss alternative understandings of atonement, René Girard's scapegoat theory, and how the Easter story reveals God's non-violent love rather than divine wrath.

Key Topics:

• Rethinking traditional atonement theories
• The problem with viewing God as wrathful and violent
• René Girard's theories on mimetic desire, rivalry, and scapegoating
• How the cross exposes human violence rather than divine violence
• Finding life-giving ways to understand Jesus' death and resurrection

Resources Mentioned:

• James Alison's "Jesus the Forgiving Victim"
• James Cone's "The Cross and the Lynching Tree"
• Brian Zahnd's "The Wood Between the Worlds"
• Thomas Merton's writings
• René Girard's work on mimetic theory

Want to reach out and let us know your thoughts or suggestions for the show? Send us a message here; we’d love to hear from you.

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