Atonement vs Redemption: What’s the Difference?
The difference at a glance
Atonement is the action taken by the wrongdoer to satisfy the demands of justice. Redemption is the resulting state of being saved or rescued from the consequences of that previous error.
Example sentences are illustrative learning examples, not verified quotations.
What does Atonement mean?
noun · /əˈtəʊn.mənt/
Reparation made for a wrong or injury — making amends in a way that restores the broken relationship or moral order. In religion, the reconciliation of humanity with God through sacrifice.
Explore AtonementAtonement in a sentence
His years of charitable work were widely read as atonement — for what exactly, he never said.
Christian theology of atonement: Christ's death as the repair of the rupture between humanity and God.
What does Redemption mean?
noun · /rɪˈdemp.ʃən/
The action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil — or, more broadly, the act of regaining something lost through payment, effort, or sacrifice.
Explore RedemptionRedemption in a sentence
The narrative arc of redemption is one of the most enduring in literature — the fall and the return.
He found a kind of redemption in the work — not absolution exactly, but the sense that something was being rebuilt.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Atonement and Redemption?
Atonement is the action taken by the wrongdoer to satisfy the demands of justice. Redemption is the resulting state of being saved or rescued from the consequences of that previous error.
What does Atonement mean?
Reparation made for a wrong or injury — making amends in a way that restores the broken relationship or moral order. In religion, the reconciliation of humanity with God through sacrifice.
What does Redemption mean?
The action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil — or, more broadly, the act of regaining something lost through payment, effort, or sacrifice.