HOW DOES JESUS SAVE?

HOW DOES JESUS SAVE US
Review of an essay by William C. Placher
By George Pasley

The late William Placher was long my favorite Presbyterian theologian, though he rarely published and labored in the obscure ranks of undergraduate educators at Wabash College in Indiana. Nonetheless, his work on the “Brief Statement of Faith,” and his book, “Narratives of a Vulnerable God” were well thought, clearly written, compelling, insightful, and both modern and traditional.

The June 2, 2009 issue of The Christian Century contains an essay by Placher on soteriology, “How Does Jesus Save?” which I find to be of great value.

For students of theology it provides excellent summaries of most of the classical and modern theories of how Jesus saves. He lifts up the strong point of each theory, and summarizes the critique of each theory. Particularly helpful is his summary and critique of Renee Girard’s mimetic theory.

But most helpful is his encouragement of a different (though not necessarily new) way of thinking, which follows two principles.

The first principle, borrowed from Hans W. Frei, is this: “in theology, doctrines should illuminate and clarify stories rather than stories illustrating doctrines.” Placher defines the stories as “God’s covenant work with Israel and then the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Then says, “We figure out and affirm the doctrines necessary to make sense of those stories (holding them tight if they really are necessary), but the stories come first.”

The second principle is Calvin’s, “Christ saves us by the whole course of his obedience,” a principle that Placher points out was often ignored by Calvin and most of the historical creeds (including- especially- the Apostle’s Creed).

The theory that Placher then espouses is best described by the early theologian Irenaeus, “(Christ) became what we are in order to enable us to become what he is.”

Placher says we need to stretch the idea of “becoming what we are”, as that would imply that the incarnation alone was sufficient for our salvation, and it clearly wasn’t: “At that point…the boundaries of the work remained far from clear. Were gentiles also saved? What about the despised and condemned? The list of such questions could be long extended. Only when God incarnate has welcomed sinners into his table fellowship, cured those who suffered, died the death assigned the blaspheming and seditious, even gone into the realm of those who rejected God and exist in a hell of utter isolation…only when this God incarnate has been raised can we glimpse the expansiveness of God’s work of salvation. Only the crucified One can save us.”

Some object that Irenaeus description amounts to deification (making gods of human beings) and Placher argues (effectively, I think) against that worry. But just in case, he offers another way of looking at it (a way I often emphasize when preaching about the New Testament Joseph): Jesus became one of us in order that we might be adopted by God.

I think Placher’s ideas “will preach” for a long time to come.

George R. Pasley
May 22, 2009
Ketchikan, AK