Atonement impasse: The perennial problem of communicating Christ's atonement to Muslims. Issue 4 (October 2022) - Bennett, Matthew Aaron
For 1400 years, Muslims and Christians in interfaith dialogue have encountered a perennial impasse surrounding the historical account of Jesus' death. For most Muslims who hold a traditional interpretation of the Qur'an, Jesus did not die on the cross, but was assumed to heaven and another was crucified in his place. For Christians, however, the cross and subsequent resurrection are the center of gospel faith. This article recognizes the impasse over the crucifixion, but proposes that the conceptual distance surrounding the concept of atonement is a prior concern that needs to be addressed before one overcomes the historical question. In order to consider the barriers to communication and mutual understanding surrounding Jesus' cross, we must first recognize that the qur'anic understanding of atonement presents linguistic, ritual, narrative, and worldview barriers to a biblical understanding of atonement. As such, before one answers the question, "Did Jesus die on the cross?" it is imperative to ask, "Why would Jesus' death on the cross matter?" This article seeks to explain the distinct understanding of atonement represented in the Qur'an and to propose that the Book of Hebrews is uniquely suited to present a biblical understanding of atonement to one who is influenced by the Qur'an.