A Concise Introduction to the Doctrine of the Atonement
The atonement is central to Christian theology and essential for following Jesus. In this addition to the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series, pastor Jeremy Treat explains what Scripture teaches about the atonement and how it impacts one’s daily life.
Treat demonstrates that the death of Christ is a multi-dimensional work within the story of the kingdom of God. While the accomplishments of the cross are unending (including forgiveness, victory, and renewal), the heart of the cross is substitution―Jesus dying on behalf of sinners. Christ’s atoning work reconciles believers to God and to one another, calling them to a life of obedience. This book presents a kingdom-framed, substitution-centered, Trinitarian, integrated, communal, and life-changing approach to the doctrine of atonement.
- Accessible: Designed to be short and approachable, this text is an ideal resource for college students, pastors, and laypeople
- Practical: The depths of the gospel are applied to discipleship, community, and ethics
- Part of the Short Studies in Systematic Theology Series: Other titles include Faithful Theology; The Attributes of God; and The Church
Editorial Reviews
Jeremy Treat wants us to reflect deeply on the beauty of the cross. He wants us to see that the good news is much bigger than we thought, that reconciliation is further flung than we dared imagine, that the Savior to whom we are united is no less than the victorious King of all things. I can’t imagine a more trustworthy guide to show us this view. With the skill of a scholar and the prose of a pastor, he takes us to the mountaintop and invites us to gaze on our great assurance.
Jen Wilkin, author; Bible teacher
Jeremy Treat has written a brilliant yet accessible introduction to the doctrine of the atonement. He shows what Jesus’s cross is about, how the cross saves, why it matters, and how it relates to the Christian life. This is a learned yet eminently readable book on a complex topic. A great starting place for anyone who wants to wrestle with the meaning of the cross and how it relates to theology as a whole.
Michael F. Bird, Academic Dean and Lecturer in New Testament, Ridley College, Melbourne
Jeremy Treat reminds us of what every thoughtful Christian should know about the atonement while calling us to understand the cross, to worship, and to pick up our cross and follow the Master.
D. A. Carson, Theologian-at-Large, The Gospel Coalition
Jeremy Treat is a model pastor-theologian. He lives and ministers in the heart of Los Angeles, one of the most dynamic, complex, and influential cities in the world. But his context hasn’t tempted him to shrink away from offering the church robust teaching and theological substance. In The Atonement, we see Treat’s pastoral heart and scholarly mind on full display. He invites us to revel in the glory of Christ crucified, explore the cross in all its profundity and life-changing potency, and return to it again and again as fuel for worship and whole-life discipleship. This is a thoughtful and accessible reflection on the heart of the gospel, indeed the heart of God. Highly recommended!
Todd Wilson, Cofounder and President, The Center for Pastor Theologians
This is a master class in short, clear, and accessible systematic theology. Jeremy Treat shows us why we need to see the atonement from numerous angles to fully grasp its beauty―and then he shows us how, with a clear exposition that maintains both coherence and practical application. A superb introduction.
Andrew Wilson, Teaching Pastor, King’s Church London
Jeremy Treat represents the best of a new generation of pastor-theologians: deep but easily accessible, faithful but not shrill, cross-centered but not neglectful of the kingdom. Here is an atonement doctrine for the church―and for the world.
Joshua M. McNall, Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology, Oklahoma Wesleyan University; author, The Mosaic of Atonement and How Jesus Saves
Evangelicals are a people of the cross―but do we understand the fullness of what this means? Jeremy Treat invites us into a rich, complex, and unified account of Jesus’s atoning work―one that we can spend a lifetime meditating on and that can guide not only our study of Scripture and theology but also of the life of the church.
Adam J. Johnson, Associate Professor of Theology, Torrey Honors College, Biola University
