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Substitutionary atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology which states that Jesus Christ died on the Cross as a substitute for sinners. It stresses the vicarious nature of the crucifixion being "for us" and representational Christ representing humanity through the Incarnation.
The word atonement is a theological term that is used to describe the substitutionary work of Christ. The word occurs in the KJV in Romans 5:11 and has the basic meaning of reconciliation. The word often is used in the Old Testament to translate the Hebrew words kipper and kippurim, which mean "propitiation" or "expiation." The word atonement encompasses Christ's work of redemption on behalf of his people. The center of Christ's work, the main event to which the whole Old Testament pointed and to which the whole New Testament expounded, was Christ's sacrificial death on the cross. Christ's death is the very heart of the Christian faith. It is the central theme of Scripture.

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