“Stricken by God? undertakes a radical rethinking of the Christian doctrine of Atonement.  Moving beyond a God who forgives us only if the divine sense of honor or justice, offended by sin, is satisfied by the violence of the crucifixion, this collection asks, Is that the ultimate Christian message?  Is that the image of the God of love taught by Jesus?  Or is it the product of feudal and juridical ways of thinking that are foreign to the Gospel?  Was not Jesus killed by human malice and does not Jesus teach us to meet malice with love and to answer offense with forgiveness?  Starting out from the Jesus of the New Testament, and not from entrenched theological traditions that go back to Anselm, the present volume is a major contribution to a new movement in theology that deserves the attention of everyone interested in Christianity’s central teaching.”
- John D. Caputo, The Thomas J. Professor of Religion and Humanities and Professor of Philosophy, Syracuse University.

“Anyone who has ever preached, taught, heard, or wondered about a ‘theology of the cross’ needs to read this book. The authors collectively offer startling biblical, theological, historical and cultural insights that can help turn Christians away from violence and toward peacemaking.” - Jon Pahl, Professor of the History of Christianity in North America, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia; Visiting Professor, Princeton University Department of Religion

“It is difficult to overstate the importance of this collection.  For way too long Christian atonement theology has underwritten violence in the name of retributive justice.  However, now we have in one place essays from a wide variety of Christian traditions and perspectives that make a persuasive case for salvation theologies that have peace rather than violence at their core.  A good part of the power of Stricken by God? comes from the impressive diversity of its authors. These essays prove that crucial work in articulating peaceable approaches to atonement is being done across the theological spectrum – and they further that work in powerful ways.” - Ted Grimsrud, Professor of Theology and Peace Studies, Eastern Mennonite University, and author of Embodying the Way of Jesus: Anabaptist Convictions for the 21^st Century

"This impressive, ecumenical and eclectic volume casts light on atonement theory and its relation to violence from many angles.  It illuminates necessary connections between the scholarly discussion of atonement theory within biblical studies and theology and the implications it holds for contemporary faith practice and spirituality.  While the critique of linking necessary violence to redemption has often been associated with feminist theology, the sheer variety of contributors here illustrates that a wide array of Christians are seeking to interpret the cross and atonement in ways that do not continue to sanction and perpetuate violence today.  These essays provide a wide variety of alternative interpretations of atonement which will greatly further the growing conversation on this topic." - Marit Trelstad,  AssociateProfessor of Lutheran and Constructive Theology, Pacific Lutheran University;  Editor: Cross Examinations: Readings on the Meaning of the Cross Today

"In Stricken By God? we encounter truthful Christian writing that seeks to liberate the gospel from its enslavement to the powers of this world. Here the good news is offered boldly and freely: God loves us and wants us to be at peace with God and one another. Many centuries of accumulated and compromised Christian dogma is skilfully separated from the gospel truth that God was in Christ reconciling the world. The cloud of witnesses found in this book reminds us that God prefers mercy to sacrifice. The result is a renewal of the radical reformation commitment to the Word of God and to the people who are constituted by that Word—the Word who was with God from the beginning and without whom nothing was made that was made." - Gerald J. Mast, Associate Professor of Communication, Bluffton University

"In the search for constructive rethinking of the cross, this book is a mother lode of resources. The stature of the contributors, the focused clarity of the conversation and the urgency of the topic make Stricken By God? a work that will be accessible and transforming for a wide audience." – S. Mark Heim, Samuel Abbot Professor of Christian Theology, Andover Newton Theological School

"Stricken By God? comes at a time when atonement theology has been experiencing a resurgence of interest and in some quarters controversy. To some degree this resurgence is explainable by the daily news and the global political issue of religion and violence, rooted deeply in divergent visions of God as a violent or non-violent being. This resurgence also flows from our reframing of Jesus in his historical and political context, and equally important, it is fuelled by our rediscovery of the radical nature of Jesus' gospel of the kingdom. For all of these reasons and more, Stricken by God? is a highly important contribution at a critical time, bringing together a range of thoughtful voices who raise important questions and pose needed and well-defended answers. This is a work I will refer back to often and recommend widely." - Brian D. McLaren, Author/Activist.

"Stricken by God? is a volume representing both an important new movement of  nonviolence that is beginning to find its way into churches in America and a theology of atonement that offers alternative persectives and models to any form of the penal satisfaction theory  associated with the name of Anselm. Influenced particularly by René Girard’s anthropology of the cross and John Howard Yoder’s ethical vision centered in the cross and the new community gathered around Jesus, the contributors offer bold and powerful new insights concerning the instrinsic connection of the cross of Christ, discipleship, and peacemaking." - James Williams, Professor Emeritus of Religion, Syracuse University, Author of The Bible, Violence, and the Sacred and editor of The Girard Reader.

"I wish that every defender of the penal substitution view of the atonement would read this book. Stricken by God? is as fine a collection of scholarly essays on the atonement as one can find in print. This book offers insightful, compelling and refreshing alternatives to penal substitution and is a mustread for all who care deeply about how Jesus’ death saves us."
— Gregory A. Boyd, (Ph.D. Princeton Theological Seminar), pastor and author of such books as Repenting of Religion and Cynic, Sage or Son of God? Recovering the Real Jesus in an Age of Revisionist Replies