Episode
295
No, the Early Church Did Not Teach Penal Substitutionary Atonement
November 28, 2025
No, the Early Church Did Not Teach Penal Substitutionary Atonement
What did the early church believe about the atonement? David Bercot takes us through the early church writers to show that they didn’t think of the atonement through the same frameworks we have about the atonement. David explains that the ante-Nicene Fathers did not teach penal substitutionary atonement (PSA); rather, PSA is a modern interpretation read back into the original texts.
David Bercot’s series on the atonement
Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs
Christus Victor: An Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea of Atonement
Episode Guest Info
David Bercot
David Bercot earned his doctor of jurisprudence degree from Baylor University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Stephen F. Austin State University. He presently operates Scroll Publishing Company for the purpose of publishing resources that concern the pre-nicene Christian church.
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Reagan Schrock
Reagan is a member of Wellspring Mennonite Church and lives with his wife Patricia in southeast Tennessee. Reagan, along with Jaran, started Anabaptist Perspectives in 2017, and serves in leadership in the organization, in addition to being deeply involved in overseas missions work.
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