C.S. Lewis on the Atonement: Conclusion (Dragons and Humans)

Lewis presents to us a vision of the atonement that is thoroughly relational and stands out as one focusing on Christ’s enabling our transformation. What the cross of Christ means in Lewis’ approach often stands in stark contrast to the popular model (i.e., penal substitution) that is hailed in many evangelical sermons, books, etc., sometimes to the point of saying belief in that model is the same as believing in the death of Christ itself and therefore, is one of the indicators as to whether or not someone is truly a Christian. With the history of the Christian tradition behind him, Lewis contends that this simply cannot be! There has been an improper fusion between metaphor and reality, and this has led to the usurping of atonement theology under one theory, a theory which Lewis largely ignores and one we as evangelicals ought to revisit in terms of its implications for other areas in theology (spec. missions, sanctification, theodicy).

This question is essential when addressing the atonement: Is sin primarily behavioral or relational? Answering this question will guide where we locate the center of our doctrine of the atonement and soteriology. Penal substitution largely deals with forensics, behaviors, and actions and, unchecked by other models, may cause some troubling conclusions when it comes to addressing the problem of evil, not to mention sanctification. Lewis puts forth a model (several actually) relational at its core because herein the problem lies: we are dragons! The solution must be relational, too: we are in need of becoming “un-dragoned”! We might be afraid the scalpel of the surgeon or the claws of the lion, but they are our only hope if we desire a different type of life. In the treatment of “recapitulation” we saw that Christ’s atoning Incarnation had a dual role, to reverse the process of sin and death and to begin the process of injecting the divine life into our own. We may only want one, but according to Lewis, God can and will only give us both (or neither, if we so choose)! And he will not stop either work until they are complete!