ABSTRACT
An understanding of the foundations of political reconciliation – and indirectly of the Westphalian order – suggests an examination of the Christian doctrine of the Atonement. Such a study often begins with two main theories: the satisfaction theory of Anselm (subsequently developed by Aquinas) and the penal substitution theory of Calvin. Grotius' governmental theory brings to a climax his political themes of rights, prudence, punishment, pardon, and sacrifice. By exploring divine punishment through the lens of expletive and attributive justice, he illustrates the stakes involved in conceptualizing political (and human) existence according to one or the other. This leads to his fullest treatment of the relationship between civil and criminal law. Grotius' Atonement theory thus illustrates many of his political themes. Beyond the political implications, Grotius' Atonement theory brings together many of his wider philosophical themes. Grotius' conception of indulgence as an action rather than an object carries implications for his concepts of justification and sanctification.
