I’ve had the chance to chat with some friends lately—both ex-Catholics and ex-Protestants—many of whom have moved to evangelical denominations and churches, particularly within Baptist or Pentecostal movements. Being a priest, I’m often called upon in these conversations to explain certain aspects of theology. Not that I’m particularly good at it, but I’m the priest in the conversation.
The question I’m always most interested in hearing answered is: What happened on the cross?
Sadly, the responses I receive again and again simply demonstrate that the wider Church—no denomination excluded—has a problem with theology and the Bible.
Two Major Views of the Cross
There are two primary theological categories for understanding what happened on the cross:
The First View: Christus Victor Christ dies and tears the temple curtain in two, representing how humanity—distanced from God through sin—can now reconnect to the divine through Christ’s death and resurrection. This is traditionally called Christus Victor (Christ the Victor).
The Second View: Penal Substitutionary Atonement Christ takes all of our sins, which require punishment, and serves as our substitute on the cross. This is called Penal Substitutionary Atonement.
While there are many variations and minor differences within these two camps, we can broadly place historical catholic (small ‘c’) Christianity—Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and much of Anglicanism—in the first camp. The second camp is predominantly found within evangelicalism and related denominations, such as Baptists and Pentecostals.
Christ the Victorious Healer vs. Christ Our Replacement on the Cross.
The Problem
Here’s where it gets interesting: When I ask which view people think is correct or which they believe, more often than not, the answer is Christus Victor—Christ the victorious healer.
But here’s the problem: That’s Catholic theology, not Pentecostal, Baptist, or Evangelical theology.
When 9 out of 10 evangelicals in conversation lean toward Catholic understanding of the cross, the lesson we learn is profound: Neither church is truly faithful to their own theology.
Because if Catholics actually preached Christus Victor clearly and consistently, people would stay. And if Evangelicals truly taught their substitutionary atonement theology with conviction, people would understand what they’re supposed to believe.
The Real Issue
This disconnect reveals something troubling about the state of Christian education and theological clarity across denominational lines. We have a crisis of theological literacy that transcends traditional boundaries.