Gustaf Aulén was a bishop in the Church of Sweden, known for his classic historical study analyzing the doctrine of atonement. His work delves into three primary interpretations of Jesus's sacrifice within Christian history: the Christus Victor theory, the Satisfaction theory, and the Moral Influence theory. Aulén's scholarship offers profound insights into the theological underpinnings of these concepts and their evolution. Beyond his theological writings, he is also recognized within the Swedish Lutheran Church for composing widely used church music.
First published in 1931. Aulen identifies three main types of Atonement theories: the 'classic' view commonly known as 'Ransom Theory'; the 'Latin' or 'objective' view, commonly known as 'Satisfaction' or 'Penal Substitution Theory', and the 'subjective' view, often known as the 'Moral Influence' theory.