For the first-century Roman world the cross was first and foremost an instrument of shameful and violent execution. But early Christians, who had seen their world upended by the atoning power of the cross of Christ, came to view it in an entirely different light. Deeply scandalous, it was paradoxically glorious. For the cross of Christ marked the epochal saving event in God's dealings with Israel and the world. And its meaning could not be fathomed or encircled by a single image or formulation. Since its publication in 2000, Recovering the Scandal of the Cross has initiated among evangelicals a new conversation about the nature of the atonement and how it should be expressed in the varied and global contexts of today. In this second edition Green and Baker have clarified and enlarged their argument in a way that will continue to provoke thought and conversation on this critical topic.

Preface to the Second EditionAbbreviations1 Making Sense of the Cross of Christ2 The Cross and the New Testament: A Mélange of Voices (Part One)3 The Cross and the New Testament: A Mélange of Voices (Part Two)4 The Saving Significance of Jesus? Death in the New Testament5 Models of the Atonement: A History and Assessment (Part One)6 Models of the Atonement: A History and Assessment (Part Two)7 Removing Alienating Shame: The Saving Significance of the Cross in Japan8 Confounding Evil Through Cunning and Compassion9 Hearing Other Voices: Exploring the Ongoing Significance of Jesus? Death10 Communicating the Atonement TodayBibliographyAuthor and Subject IndexScripture Index