The Atonement and the Sacraments

Book excerpt: Robert Paul presents his study of the Atonement in three sections. The first covers the period from the Apostolic Fathers, on through the scholastic and Reformation writers, to the eighteenth century. The second begins with the evangelical revival and brings the history of thought on the Atonement down to our own day. The third leads on from an atonement-centered theology to its dramatic expression in and through the Gospel sacraments: two comprehensive chapters on Baptism and the Lord's Supper bring the book to its conclusion. Here is an excellent historical survey of the doctrine of the Atonement for the student.