Christian soteriology
Christian Soteriology is the branch of Christian theology that deals with salvation.[1] It is derived from the Greek sōtērion (salvation) (from sōtēr savior, preserver) + English -logy.[2] For similar concepts in other religions, see Salvation.
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[edit] Traditional focus
Christian soteriology traditionally focuses on how God ends the separation people have from him due to sin by reconciling them with himself. (Rom. 5:10-11). Many Christians believe they receive the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), life (Rom. 8:11), and salvation (1 Thess. 5:9) bought by Jesus through his innocent suffering, death, and resurrection from the dead three days later (Matt. 28).
Christ's death, resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit, is called The Paschal Mystery. Christ's human birth is called the Incarnation. Either or both are considered in different versions of soteriology.
While not neglecting the Paschal Mystery, many Christians believe salvation is brought through the Incarnation itself, in which God took on human nature so that humans could partake in the divine nature (2 Peter 1.4). As St. Athanasius put it, God became human so that we might become divine (St. Athanasius, De inc. 54, 3: PG 25, 192B.). This grace in Christ (1 Cor. 1:4) is received as a gift of God that cannot be merited by works done prior to one's conversion to Christianity (Eph. 2:8-9), which is brought about by hearing God's Word (Rom. 10:17) and harkening to it. This involves accepting Jesus Christ as the personal saviour and Lord over one's life.
[edit] Catholic teaching on Salvation
Human beings exists because God wanted to share His life with them. In this sense, every human being is God's child. In a fuller sense, to come to salvation is to be reconciled to God through Christ and to be united with His divine Essence via Theosis in the beatific vision of the Godhead. The graces of Christ's passion, death, and resurrection are found in the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.
Salvation is a trinitarian event. God the Father, wishing the world, which had been corrupted by the fault of the first parents, to be reconciled to himself sent Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to redeem mankind through his perfect oblation on the cross; the divinisation of humanity is further accomplished by his resurrection and glorification. Human members of the Church are aided in this supernatural process by the Holy Spirit of God. The Church has clarified this trinitarian pattern of Salvation through the creeds.[3] Within the Trinity, the Son proceeds from the Father and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and (through) the Son. Out of the Trinity and from our perspective, the economy of Salvation operates in reverse so that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit sanctifies the human person and Christ incorporates the person into His mystical body, which is the Catholic Church. In this way, the human person is reconciled to God the Father and becomes integrated into the very life of God through sanctifying grace.
The Catholic Church is the body of Christ. It is unique because it is the only body of Christ and a unity because it is fully united with Him. ‘Extra ecclesiam nulla salus’ is a tautology.[4] members of non-Catholic Christian communities may retain their incorporation in Christ because of their union, although imperfect, with the one Catholic Church.[5]
[edit] Distinct schools
Protestant teaching, originating with Martin Luther, teaches that salvation is received by grace alone and that one's sole necessary response to this grace is faith alone. Older Christian teaching, as found in Catholic and Orthodox theology, is that salvation is received by grace alone, but that one's necessary response to this grace comprises both faith and works (James 2:24,26; Rom 2:6-7; Gal 5:6).
The different soteriologies found within the Christian tradition can be grouped into distinct schools:
- Orthodox and Catholic:
- Justification,
- the Church,
- Sacraments
- freedom of will
- Arminianism's synergism
- Calvinism's predestination
- Lutheran doctrine, in a wide range [1] of ideas, including
- conversion [2]
- Justification by grace alone through faith alone [3]
- the Means of Grace [4]
- the Church [5].
[edit] Comparison between Protestants
This table summarizes the classical views of three different Protestant beliefs about salvation.[6]
| Topic | Lutheranism | Calvinism | Arminianism |
| Human will | Total Depravity without free will | Total Depravity without free will | Depravity does not preclude free will |
| Election | Unconditional election to salvation only | Unconditional election to salvation and damnation | Conditional election in view of foreseen faith or unbelief |
| Justification | Justification of all people completed at Christ's death. | Justification is limited to those elected to salvation, completed at Christ's death. | Justification possible for all, but only completed when one chooses faith. |
| Conversion | Through the means of grace, resistible | Without means, irresistible | Involves free will and is resistible |
| Preservation and apostasy | Falling away is possible, but God gives assurance of preservation. | Perseverance of the saints, once saved, always saved | Preservation upon the condition of persevering faith with the possibility of a total and final apostasy. |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Soteriology. Dictionary.com. WordNet 3.0. Princeton University. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Soteriology (accessed: March 02, 2008).
- ^ soteriology - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
- ^ Nicene Creed
- ^ Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus, Kallistos Ware.
- ^ Declaration Dominus Iesus, Chapter IV, Unicity and unity of the Church, http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/document/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000806_dominus-iesus_en.html
- ^ Table drawn from, though not copied, from Lange, Lyle W. God So Loved the Word: A Study of Christian Doctrine. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 2006. p. 448.
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