The Importance of the Doctrine of Atonement

In this podcast episode, Dr. William Lane Craig discusses the importance of the doctrine of atonement and its defense against criticisms. He explains that he was motivated to explore this topic because he felt dissatisfied with the treatment of the doctrine by Christian philosophers and the lack of a robust defense of the Reformation doctrine of substitutionary atonement. Dr. Craig highlights that the atonement is a multifaceted doctrine, consisting of various motifs such as sacrifice, satisfaction of divine justice, redemption, and more. To have a complete understanding of atonement, these different facets must be considered together. Additionally, he emphasizes the significance of the Old Testament sacrificial system in laying the groundwork for the concept of substitutionary atonement, exemplified by Jesus' vicarious suffering on the cross. Throughout the episode, Dr. Craig addresses objections and defends the validity and coherence of penal substitutionary atonement.