Jesus' death and resurrection underpin a variety of theological interpretations as to how salvation is granted to humanity. These interpretations vary widely in how much emphasis they place on the death of Jesus as compared to his words. According to the substitutionary atonement view, Jesus' death is of central importance, and Jesus willingly sacrificed himself as an act of perfect obedience as a sacrifice of love which pleased God. By contrast the moral influence theory of atonement focuses much more on the moral content of Jesus' teaching, and sees Jesus' death as a martyrdom. Since the Middle Ages there has been conflict between these two views within Western Christianity. Evangelical Protestants typically hold a substitutionary view and in particular hold to the theory of penal substitution. Liberal Protestants typically reject substitutionary atonement and hold to the moral influence theory of atonement. Both views are popular within the Roman Catholic church, with the satisfaction doctrine incorporated into the idea of penance. COUNT 5
QSN1 What does Jesus' death and Resurrection support? ANS1 how salvation is granted to humanity QSN2 How important is Jesus' death to modern theology? ANS2 central importance QSN3 Did Jesus sacrifice himself without fighting? ANS3 Jesus willingly sacrificed himself QSN4 Why did Jesus sacrifice himself? ANS4 an act of perfect obedience QSN5 What church is the sacrifice important to? ANS5 the Roman Catholic church