Christian Soteriology

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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.

Contents

• 1 Traditional focus
• 2 Catholic teaching on Salvation
• 3 Distinct schools
o 3.1 Comparison between Protestants
• 4 See also
• 5 References

• 6 External links

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.

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]

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:

o Justification,
o the Church,
o Sacraments
o freedom of will
• Arminianism's synergism
• Calvinism's predestination
• Lutheran doctrine, in a wide range [1] of ideas, including
o conversion [2]
o Justification by grace alone through faith alone [3]
o the Means of Grace [4]
o the Church [5].
Comparison between Protestants

This table summarizes the classical views of three different Protestant beliefs about
salvation.[6]

Topic Lutheranism Calvinism Arminianism

Depravity does
Total Depravity Total Depravity
Human will not preclude free
without free will without free will
will
Unconditional Conditional
Unconditional
election to election in view of
Election election to
salvation and foreseen faith or
salvation only
damnation unbelief
Justification is Justification
Justification of limited to those possible for all,
all people elected to but only
Justification
completed at salvation, completed when
Christ's death. completed at one chooses
Christ's death. faith.
Through the
Without means, Involves free will
Conversion means of
irresistible and is resistible
grace, resistible
Preservation
upon the
Falling away is
Perseverance of condition of
possible, but
Preservation the saints, once persevering faith
God gives
and apostasy saved, always with the
assurance of
saved possibility of a
preservation.
total and final
apostasy.