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Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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Curvature and Orientation: A Structural Account of the Christian Story

Authors: Bailey, Denis;

Curvature and Orientation: A Structural Account of the Christian Story

Abstract

his paper presents a structural account of the Christian story grounded in the core concepts of Relational Structuralism. It reframes creation, sin, salvation, Scripture, Jesus, and eschatology in terms of orientation rather than doctrine, identity, or moral performance. The central claim is that the human condition is defined by curvature—an inward‑bent posture that distorts perception, agency, and relationship—and that salvation is the restoration of orientation. Jesus is presented not as a religious exception but as the embodiment of uncurved humanity, revealing the posture required to inhabit reality truthfully.Scripture is interpreted as a clarifying lens rather than a rulebook or doctrinal archive. Its coherence becomes visible only when the reader’s posture is restored; from curvature, the text appears fragmented and contradictory. The paper shows how alignment with reality—received through grace, mediated by the Spirit, and embodied in Jesus—unifies the narrative arc of Scripture and dissolves many inherited theological dichotomies.The argument unfolds across individual, communal, and cosmic dimensions. It describes how curvature is exposed, how alignment is received, how the restored posture transforms human experience, and how aligned communities embody a new relational structure. The eschatological horizon is presented as the fulfillment of alignment in the renewal of all things, grounding Christian hope in the inevitability of restored coherence.This work positions the Christian story as a structurally intelligible account of reality, offering a unified framework that integrates ontology, anthropology, and theology without reducing any of them to moralism, legalism, or abstraction.

Keywords

• orientation • curvature • alignment • relational ontology • structural anthropology • salvation • Scripture • Jesus • eschatology • restoration

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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