The Curse Removed
A Look at Image-Based Atonement
by Dan Salter
Imprint: Resource Publications
The atonement is the central doctrine of our Christian faith. Today's most popular model--penal substitution--presumes Jesus took on the guilt of sins to pay for them with his death. But that courtroom scenario, lacking justice and open-armed forgiveness, is riddled with questions of how guilt is transferred and why punishing another for a crime is just. The recent revival of Christus Victor and mimetic atonement theories may properly deny the Father-to-Son wrath of penal substitution, but they, too, fall short in explaining the transference of the victory of Jesus's atonement to the sinner who needs rescue. Addressing these problems, Dan Salter's biblically faithful recast of a redemptive atonement highlights both our human physical essence and our spiritual identity as the beneficiaries of God's restoration. True justice and forgiveness can occur only with The Curse Removed.
Dan Salter is the teaching pastor at The Measuring Line, a Christian resource organization providing Bible study material and support for churches and individuals. Dan has developed and promoted a theological view called Kinship Theology, the concept that God interacts with his creation always and only on the basis of love relationship. Through Kinship Theology, he organized answers to atonement questions to realign the biblical emphases on forgiveness and redemption toward God’s love purpose.
“The Curse Removed is an attempt to ‘put it all together’ for the believer wanting to go deeper and further. In relatively few pages, Salter weaves a patterned theology based upon God’s love that leads toward a more precise understanding of Christ’s atoning work. He presents in clear progression the reasons for mankind’s hope: hope that the Scriptures offer definitive answers to life’s important questions, hope for understanding relationship, hope that encourages Christian faith, and hope for restoration, glorious reunions, and life everlasting.”
—Mark D. Kilgus, MD, PhD
“Penal substitutionary atonement portrays God in far from loving ways. Other atonement theories are wanting in various ways. A better theory of atonement arises from kinship theology, says Dan Salter, which means atonement based on love relationships. This book pushes atonement conversations in the right direction: toward love!”
—Thomas Jay Oord, Director, Doctoral Program in Open and Relational Theology, Northwind Theological Seminary