Atonement Explained: Where Catholics and Protestants Differ

About this episode

Fr. Gregory and Fr. Bonaventure explore the Catholic understanding of atonement and the mystery of salvation in this episode.

"Jesus died for our sins." As Christians we know this to be true, but do we understand what this really means? There are many explanations that focus on punishment, debt, or substitution. But how does the Catholic Church understand Christ's sacrifice on the Cross? Join Fr. Gregory and Fr. Bonaventure on this episode of Godsplaining as they explore the Catholic understanding of atonement, the mystery of salvation, and why Catholics speak of participation in the divine life. Along the way, they'll also discuss the famous Protestant theory of penal substitution, St. Thomas Aquinas' approach to redemption, and how Christ's suffering reveals the deepest truth about God's love. For the St. Dominic Rosary and more from the Catholic Woodworker: https://catholicwoodworker.com/products/st-dominic-rosary?utm_source=godsplaining&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=stdominic Join Exodus 90 and their Return of the King challenge: https://exodus90.com/godsplaining Deadline extended! Join us at the 2026 All Comers' Retreat in June: https://godsplaining.org/all-comers-retreat-june-2026/ Limited spots! Sign up for the 2026 Men's Retreat in August…

People in this episode

Host: Fr. Gregory

Guest: Fr. Bonaventure

Topics covered

• atonement
• salvation
• Catholic theology
• Christ's sacrifice
• God's love
• redemption
• penal substitution

Keywords

• atonement
• salvation
• Catholic Church
• Christ's sacrifice
• St. Thomas Aquinas
• penal substitution
• redemption
• God's love

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Catholic Church, Exodus 90, Dominican Friars Province of St. Joseph

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