When Atonement Theology Needs Atoning: Penal Substitution and the (lack of) Concern for Suffering

From access to reproductive healthcare to border immigration policies to policies impacting the lives of trans people to opinions on the US involvement in international conflicts, US Christians hold divergent theologically influenced stances. However, for those US evangelicals that adhere to penal substitutionary atonement (PSA) and hold gender complementarianism as sacrosanct, these socio-political leanings may not be that surprising. Findings from an empirical study of evangelicals will be presented with the goal of identifying some of the ways PSA relates to the attitudes and beliefs of its adherents. 225 masters-level students at an Evangelical seminary were asked about their beliefs in PSA, complementarian gender roles, and sense of personal responsibility for reducing the pain and suffering of others. In short, stronger adherence to PSA was significantly associated with lower levels of concern for alleviating others’ suffering, with gender complementarian beliefs mediating the negative association.