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Rating: 
Summary: A Good Defense of General Atonement with God's Sovereignty
Review: A careful and reasoned case for general atonement that does not attack the sovereignty of God or exalt human effort. Recommended reading for those who would generally hold to the tenents of Calvinism but question the assertion that Christ died only for the elect (Limited Atonement). Kindly shows that Limited Atonement logic is not defensible. Urges readers to look to the Bible itself for final answers. Cautions readers not to embrace this element of a humanly defined system of theology because it runs counter to the plain teaching of Scripture. A scholarly work that is easy reading.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Defense of General Atonement with God's Sovereignty
Review: A careful and reasoned case for general atonement that does not attack the sovereignty of God or exalt human effort. Recommended reading for those who would generally hold to the tenents of Calvinism but question the assertion that Christ died only for the elect (Limited Atonement). Kindly shows that Limited Atonement logic is not defensible. Urges readers to look to the Bible itself for final answers. Cautions readers not to embrace this element of a humanly defined system of theology because it runs counter to the plain teaching of Scripture. A scholarly work that is easy reading.
Rating:
Summary: What John Calvin himself believed.
Review: For those reviewers that give this book such bad marks: you should be careful to call this a distortion of Calvinism. Most Calvin scholars agree that John Calvin held to unlimited atonement (he was a 4-pointer). Please see R.T. Kendall's book, Calvin and English Calvinism. The Five Points of Calvinism would be better entitled, The Five Points of Dort. It is a historical anachronism.
Theologically, limited atonement has never made sense to me in relation to the gospel message. What can you say to the unbeliever? "Christ might have died for you"? What exactly are they supposed to believe?
Rating: 
Summary: A Spurious Case for Unlimited Atonement
Review: Like every other Arminian who has ever attempted to defend unlimited atonement, Dr. Lightner fails to deal adequately with the Old Testament teaching regarding the sacrificial system. If one merely examines the OT sacrifices, one clearly sees limited atonement presented as the model for the death of Christ. The OT priest never presented his sacrifice for anyone but the covenant nation of Israel: there isn't one instance of priest offering sacrifices for the Amalekites, etc. Furthermore, the acceptance of the offering by God ACTUALLY provided the forgiveness sought by the person bringing it. (The Arminian view would have us believe that Jesus' sacrifice didn't actually forgive anyone, it only made forgiveness POSSIBLE. Ptooey! I spit on such nonsense.) Lightner fails to deal with the Bible's use of the word "all." A careful use of your concordance demonstrates that the Bible itself routinely uses the word "all" in a less than universal sense. For instance, take Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." Does "all" here mean "every single person who ever lived"? Bzzzt! Wrong. Jesus was sinless, thus "all" cannot mean "every person who ever lived." If the Calvinist can prove even ONE instance where "all" is clearly used in a less than universal sense, it falls to the Arminian to demonstrate, in context mind you, why "all" cannot mean something less than "every single person" anywhere else it appears in the Bible. Lightner can't make a case for unlimited atonmement; no one can. No one has ever been able to answer the definitive argument for limited atonement given by John Owen in "The Death of Death in the Death of Christ." Amazon would be happy to sell you a copy of Owen's book. Go get one! Right now! You can always use the Lightner book for firestarter paper...
Rating:
Summary: A Spurious Case for Unlimited Atonement
Review: Like every other Arminian who has ever attempted to defend unlimited atonement, Dr. Lightner fails to deal adequately with the Old Testament teaching regarding the sacrificial system. If one merely examines the OT sacrifices, one clearly sees limited atonement presented as the model for the death of Christ. The OT priest never presented his sacrifice for anyone but the covenant nation of Israel: there isn't one instance of priest offering sacrifices for the Amalekites, etc. Furthermore, the acceptance of the offering by God ACTUALLY provided the forgiveness sought by the person bringing it. (The Arminian view would have us believe that Jesus' sacrifice didn't actually forgive anyone, it only made forgiveness POSSIBLE. Ptooey! I spit on such nonsense.) Lightner fails to deal with the Bible's use of the word "all." A careful use of your concordance demonstrates that the Bible itself routinely uses the word "all" in a less than universal sense. For instance, take Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." Does "all" here mean "every single person who ever lived"? Bzzzt! Wrong. Jesus was sinless, thus "all" cannot mean "every person who ever lived." If the Calvinist can prove even ONE instance where "all" is clearly used in a less than universal sense, it falls to the Arminian to demonstrate, in context mind you, why "all" cannot mean something less than "every single person" anywhere else it appears in the Bible. Lightner can't make a case for unlimited atonmement; no one can. No one has ever been able to answer the definitive argument for limited atonement given by John Owen in "The Death of Death in the Death of Christ." Amazon would be happy to sell you a copy of Owen's book. Go get one! Right now! You can always use the Lightner book for firestarter paper...
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Summary: Arminian's in Calvin's Clothing
Review: The Death Christ Died is not a book anyone should recommend, "moderate" (read: four-point) Calvinist or Arminian. It is simply is a sad commentary on the state of popular theology today. Dr. Lightner has taken a debate that has marshaled the finest minds in the history of Christ's Church to its articulation and given us a sophomoric treatment unworthy of a third year undergraduate. An itemized critique would required as many words as the book itself, so I will refrain from that here. I will say that Dr. Lightner and the introductory penman, Norman Geisler, have fabricated a new species of Calvinism previously unknown to man: the "moderate" Calvinist. But, like the infamous Nebraska Man touted by the evolutionists as a transitional species of human, and upon closer examination proved to be nothing more than the tooth of a pig, so this "discovery" is also found feeding upon husks. I don't recall reading anything that so misrepresents an opponents position and then wastes so much time "demolishing" that misrepresentation. This book assaults the reader with not one stationary, but an entire marching brigade of straw men. There is no serious examination of the hundreds of relevant passages in Scripture by the torchlight of the Spirit, only the striking of wet matches at a handful of words taken out of context. I don't know anyone, Calvinist or otherwise, who holds to a view of limited atonement that Lightner presents. The true Calvinistic position is well documented in popular format by R.C. Sproul's Chosen By God, John Armstrong, J.I. Packer, David Steele, James White's Potter's Freedom, et. al. The definitive treatment for those students who wish to dig deeply remains The Death of Death by the eminent Dr. John Owen. For an excellent presentation of the Arminian position on unlimited atonement see Elect in the Son by Robert Shank. This man knows what he's talking about. I highly recommend reading any of these gentlemen before nourishing your quest for truth on the husks Lightner is feeding.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book Against Limited Atonement
Review: This is a great book defending the idea that Christ atoned for all of humanity. It critiques both strict Calvinism and strict Arminianism and seeks a middle path. The book spends most of its time, however, relentlessly arguing against the five-point Calvinist limited atonement concept and examining many scriptures to defend Unlimited Atonement--the position Lightner supports. He also refutes various arguments by Calvinists such as John Owen and Arthur Pink. Lightner further exposes the five-pointers' faulty reasoning that the words "world" and "all" in scripture mean the elect. He declares that the Bible "shines" with universality for all people. Additionally, Lightner includes a critique of the MacArthur Study Bible and its support of Limited Atonement. This book is highly recommended along with Did Christ Die Only for the Elect? by Norman F. Douty.
Rating:
Summary: Great Work for Unlimited Atonement
Review: This is a great book supporting the idea that Christ died for all of humanity. Lightner argues relentlessly against the five-point Calvinist position that Christ died only for the elect, and exposes their twisted scriptural interpretations that words such as "world" and "all" mean the elect instead of what they plainly say. Lightner correctly notes that the scriptures "shine" with the concept of universality. He also notes, "Those who would confine the love of God to the elect are guilty not only of arbitrarily restricting God's love but of placing limitations on the very nature of God." This book is highly recommended along with Did Christ Die Only for the Elect? by Norman F. Douty.
And for an Arminian defense of unlimited atonement, check out "Redemption Redeemed" by John Goodwin.
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