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History & Society
atonement
religion
Paolo Veneziano: The Crucifixion
Category:
History & Society
- Key People:
- St. Anselm of Canterbury
- Albrecht Ritschl
- Related Topics:
- sacrifice
- expiation
- propitiation
atonement, the process by which people remove obstacles to their reconciliation with God. It is a recurring theme in the history of religion and theology. Rituals of expiation and satisfaction appear in most religions as the means by which religious people reestablish or strengthen their relation to the holy or divine. Atonement is often attached to sacrifice, both of which often connect ritual cleanness with moral purity and religious acceptability. The term atonement developed in the English language in the 16th century by the combination of “at onement,” meaning to “set at one” or “to reconcile.” It was used in ...(100 of 464 words)