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Even if Christ is our scapegoat, he is not that of the…

“Even if Christ is our scapegoat, he is not that of the Father, and [so] the sacrificial understanding is always relative, while the absolute is that which is beyond all sacrifice. Tell me what you think. Is it that the definition of perfect love between the Father and the Son, or the identity of…” quote by Scott Cowdell
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““Even if Christ is our scapegoat, he is not that of the Father, and [so] the sacrificial understanding is always relative, while the absolute is that which is beyond all sacrifice. Tell me what you think. Is it that the definition of perfect love between the Father and the Son, or the identity of loving one’s neighbor and the love of God, realized only by Christ himself, mightn’t be what’s beyond sacrifice [ne serait pas cet au-delà du sacrifice]? This does not exclude, of course, the imperative to “give his life for his friends.”172 I ask myself if, in orthodox Christian circles, one does not run the risk of losing something essential to save the sacrificial formulation, which scandalizes non-Christians—and not without reason [qui ne scandalise pas les non-chrétiens sans raison]. And after all, this formulation has no dogmatic sanction; we can’t rule out that the church won’t decide to renounce sacrifice—one day, after long examination [on ne peut pas exclure qu’un jour, après de longs examens, l’église ne décide pas]—faced with the evidence that the elimination of sacrifice bears fruit on so many levels (if this is understood, not in the insipid and saccharine sense that “progressives” envisage it, but from the conception of sacrifice that we present, for the renunciation of sacrifice)””

Scott Cowdell

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The passage questions whether Christ’s sacrifice is essential, suggesting that love and moral action can exist beyond traditional sacrificial doctrine.

In simple terms: Love may be more important than ritual sacrifice.

Key Takeaway

Focus on loving actions rather than ritual.

Themes

theology ethics love sacrifice dogma

Mood

contemplative critical

Type

theological philosophical

When to use this quote

  • church discussions
  • personal faith practice
  • interfaith dialogue

Key Concepts

philosophy religious studies morality

Questions to Reflect On

  • Can love exist without sacrifice?
  • What does “beyond sacrifice” mean for modern faith?
A Different Perspective

Traditional believers may resist reinterpretation.

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