Affirms
Christ's death atones for sin and reconciles humanity to God
The Amish affirm that Christ's death on the cross is the atonement for human sin. His sacrifice satisfies divine justice and makes reconciliation between God and humanity possible. This is affirmed in the Dordrecht Confession and in the rich Leidenstheologie (theology of suffering) of the Anabaptist martyrdom tradition.
The Martyrs Mirror — a central text in Amish and Mennonite piety — connects Christ's atoning suffering to the suffering of Anabaptist martyrs and to the present community's call to nonresistant endurance. The atonement is not merely a transaction but the pattern of the Christian life: 'take up your cross and follow me.'
Key Distinctions
- Primary theory:
- penal substitution — Christ bears the penalty of sin in place of sinners
- Scope of atonement:
- universal — Christ died for all people
- Propitiation affirmed:
- yes — Christ's death satisfies divine justice
Scripture References
Sources
- Dordrecht Confession of Faith (1632), Articles 5–6
- Thieleman J. van Braght, Martyrs Mirror (1660)