The Atonement. The Congregational Union Lecture For 1875.
By R.W. Dale
Published by Hodder And Stoughton: London 1876 5th Edition
"R. W. Dale's The Atonement is a substantial and influential work of Victorian theology, originating from the Congregational Union Lectures delivered in 1875 and here presented in the Fifth Edition of 1876. Dale approaches the doctrine of the Atonement not as an abstract or speculative theory, but as a historical and moral reality grounded in the person, teaching, and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Across a carefully structured series of lectures, he examines the testimony of Christ Himself and of the Apostles—Peter, John, James, and Paul—before advancing to a reasoned theological synthesis that seeks to remain faithful to Scripture while engaging honestly with modern thought.
Distinguished by clarity, pastoral sensitivity, and intellectual seriousness, the work reflects Dale's concern to show the Atonement as the objective basis for the remission of sins and the moral restoration of humanity, rather than merely a juridical or symbolic transaction. His refusal to rush prematurely into rigid doctrinal formulas gives the book a measured, reflective tone, while its engagement with righteousness, law, and human responsibility places it firmly within the wider debates of nineteenth-century Protestant theology. This enduring study will particularly appeal to theologians, ministers, students of Victorian religious thought, and collectors of serious nineteenth-century theological works."
