Atonement and Forgiveness in the Bible and Jewish Traditions

This term paper, submitted for the Master of Divinity course OT2021 ("Atonement and Forgiveness in the Bible and Jewish Traditions") at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong, provides a critical review and summary of selected chapters from Jesper Svartvik's 2021 book, Reconciliation and Transformation: Reconsidering Christian Theologies of the Cross. Focusing on Chapter 4 ("Why Did the First Christians Stop Making Sacrifices?") and Chapter 7 ("Rendering the Rending of the Veil"), the paper explores the historical, theological, and interfaith dimensions of sacrifice, atonement, and the temple veil's tearing in Christian and Jewish contexts, with an emphasis on fostering reconciliation between Jews and Christians. In Chapter 4, the analysis addresses why early Christians ceased temple sacrifices post-70 CE, contrasting this with Jewish adaptations (e.g., sublimating sacrifices through prayer and textual study) and Christian substitutionary views (e.g., Jesus' death as the ultimate atonement). Svartvik critiques biased Christian portrayals of the temple as pejorative and argues for contextualizing Jesus and early Christianity within Jewish culture to avoid unjust verdicts on Jewish traditions. The paper highlights scholarly debates on Old Testament sacrificial texts—whether allegorical, time-bound, or eternally valid—and underscores Paul's criticism of idolatry rather than Jewish practices. Chapter 7 examines three interpretations of the temple veil's rending at Jesus' death: as a sign of God's wrath (e.g., Melito of Sardis' anti-Jewish rhetoric), a reason for joy (symbolizing removed barriers between God and humanity), and an expression of divine sorrow (reflecting God's grief over human sin). Svartvik deems the wrath and joy interpretations problematic and biased, advocating for a sorrowful lens to promote empathy and avoid supersessionism. The paper argues that Svartvik's work serves as a tool for transformation, urging a more objective understanding of Jewish roots in Christianity to bridge divides and enrich followers' lives. It offers insights for contemporary interfaith dialogue, atonement theology, and anti-antisemitism efforts.