Rethinking God with Tacos PODCAST Carlos Padilla / Rediscovering The Forgotten Man: The Election without Scapegoats
Dec 9, 2025
In this conversation, Carlos Padilla, a theologian and author known for his focus on Christ-centered doctrine and scapegoat theory, dives deep into God's love and human dignity. He discusses the dangers of violence and dehumanization, advocating for a theology that celebrates every person's worth. Carlos explores topics like the transformative power of merciful love over judgment, the importance of seeing others through a divine perspective, and how to redefine violence and exclusion through the gospel. A thought-provoking discussion on living out shared humanity!
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Election Rooted In Christ
- Karl Barth reframes election as Christ-centered, making Jesus both electing God and elected man.
- This removes divine favoritism and grounds salvation in Christ's action, not human merit or arbitrary predestination.
Scapegoating Explains Sacred Violence
- René Girard's scapegoat mechanism shows how societies create victims to maintain order.
- Combining Girard with Barth reframes election as ending scapegoating and disarming sacred violence.
Atonement As Mercy Seat
- Atonement (hilasterion) primarily reveals mercy, not a transactional pay-off.
- The cross functions as a mercy seat that disarms legalistic views of salvation.
