Surprisingly, though, an article in the Anglican Theological Review reports that this cherished tenet is “in trouble.” And the “trouble” is coming from religious leaders.

Explains the Anglican Theological Review: “The doctrine of atonement in Christian thought is in trouble because its biblical bases are in question, its formulation has become overladen with ephemeral [short-lived] notions . . . , and its expression in popular spirituality has taken on the form of personal emotionalism and uncritical self-justification.”

As the Anglican Theological Review puts it: “When pressed . . . the believing Christian is often unable to cite the biblical source of the doctrine, or to explain how it works.”