The Curse Removed: A Look at Image-Based Atonement

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 ...