There Are Five Atonement Theories, Not One. Here's Why That Matters
Christianity has produced at least five major theories of what the cross accomplished — Ransom, Christus Victor, Sacrifice/Access, Moral Influence, and Penal Substitution — spanning 2,000 years, and no ecumenical council has ever declared one of them "the" answer.
Rome Killed Jesus. God Did Not Require It. Here's Why
Jesus was executed by the Roman Empire on political charges ("King of the Jews"), by Roman soldiers, using a method reserved for slaves and rebels — and he asked God to stop it ("remove this cup from me"), which makes no sense if God required the death.