A community called atonement

Scot McKnight's new book "A Community Called Atonement" is remarkable. For all those like me who have been struggling with atonement as a theological principle and with what it says about God, this text is a must read. Here is a quote from the beginning of the book.

Packing his best punches for his first public sermon, Jesus embraces and extends the themes of his mother (Mary), his relative (Zechariah), and his own future work. After his baptism and temptation, action profoundly political an well as personal, Jesus is empowered by the spirit, returns home and on "opening Sabbath day" attends synagogue and is asked, in cantor-like fashion, to read Torah. He stands up to read and either picks his own text or finds himself being asked to read on the right day. he reads from Isaiah 61: 1-2:

The spirit of the lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind.
to let the pressed go free
to proclaim the year of the lord's favor.

...Jesus words following this reading are as startling as they are full of Chutzpah: "today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." in other words, Jesus is saying, "the words i just read are about me and my mission... to focus again on the salient points, Jesus sees his kingdom mission to be good news for the poor (like his mother and her words) and release for the captives and sight for the blind and liberation for the oppressed- that is, it is the year of Jubilee!

This is just the beginning. McKnight believes that Christ was creating a covenant-based community and any view of atonement must understand that and must encompass the kingdom vision of liberation. Three chapters in and this book has come at an opportune time as i write a 25 page paper on metaphors of atonement for the age of Globalization and Empire.