<description>&lt;p&gt;What did the early church believe about the atonement? David Bercot takes us through the early church writers to show that they didn’t think of the atonement through the same frameworks we have about the atonement. David explains that the ante-Nicene Fathers did not teach penal substitutionary atonement (PSA); rather, PSA is a modern interpretation read back into the original texts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://youtu.be/c690HA_CWjo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Our episode with Dean Taylor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUpqh0IgKi_lQfTTddwuRSTe0fCIWQ6Wh&amp;amp;si=8IBd32HJlc_PMg1_" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;David Bercot’s series on the atonement&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://amzn.to/4hUUzPz" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://amzn.to/4oDA7Fo`" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Christus Victor: An Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea of Atonement&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://a.co/d/gHlKiz1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Orthodox Study Bible&lt;/em&gt; with the Septuagint&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is the 295th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://anabaptistperspectives.org/follow/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter&lt;/a&gt; which contains new and featured content!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us on &lt;a href="https://www.patreon.com/anabaptistperspectives" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Patreon&lt;/a&gt; or become a &lt;a href="https://anabaptistperspectives.org/partners/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;website partner&lt;/a&gt; to enjoy bonus content!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Visit our &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/anabaptistperspectives/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt; or connect on &lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/anabaptistperspectives/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.anabaptistperspectives.org/blog/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Read essays from our blog&lt;/a&gt; or listen to them on our podcast, &lt;a href="https://essays-for-king-jesus.captivate.fm/listen" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Essays for King Jesus&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Subscribe on your &lt;a href="https://anabaptist-perspectives.captivate.fm/listen" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;podcast provider of choice&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://anabaptistperspectives.org/donate/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Support us&lt;/a&gt; or learn more at &lt;a href="http://anabaptistperspectives.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;anabaptistperspectives.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Anabaptist Perspectives

Anabaptist Perspectives

No, the Early Church Did Not Teach Penal Substitutionary Atonement - David Bercot

NOV 28, 2025136 MIN
Anabaptist Perspectives

No, the Early Church Did Not Teach Penal Substitutionary Atonement - David Bercot

NOV 28, 2025136 MIN

Description

What did the early church believe about the atonement? David Bercot takes us through the early church writers to show that they didn’t think of the atonement through the same frameworks we have about the atonement. David explains that the ante-Nicene Fathers did not teach penal substitutionary atonement (PSA); rather, PSA is a modern interpretation read back into the original texts.

Our episode with Dean Taylor

David Bercot’s series on the atonement

Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs

Christus Victor: An Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea of Atonement

Orthodox Study Bible with the Septuagint

This is the 295th episode of Anabaptist Perspectives, a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel that examines various aspects of conservative Anabaptist life and thought.

Sign-up for our monthly email newsletter which contains new and featured content!

Join us on Patreon or become a website partner to enjoy bonus content!

Visit our YouTube channel or connect on Facebook.

Read essays from our blog or listen to them on our podcast, Essays for King Jesus

Subscribe on your podcast provider of choice

Support us or learn more at anabaptistperspectives.org.

The views expressed by our guests are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Anabaptist Perspectives or Wellspring Mennonite Church.