Christianity and Salvation
Topic:
That Jesus Christ is saviour is one of the core beliefs of Christianity. Outline and critically evaluate some traditional ways of understanding salvation. Outline and critically evaluate some contemporary theologians’ thinking on salvation. Briefly address the implications of this for teaching salvation in schools.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines salvation as “deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ” .
“Sin”, in turn is defined as “an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law” .
One of the core beliefs of Christianity it that Jesus Christ is saviour and is, therefore, responsible for delivering humanity from perpetrating acts that are considered transgressions against God’s will.
The Catholic Church, however, has never articulated a definitive explanation of how Christ will achieve salvation. This has led to diverse and, at times, conflicting interpretations of the nature and function of salvation. Indeed, Hill says that the meaning of salvation is “elusive ... pluralist ... [and] fluid ... [and] every Christian knows its meaning until asked to explain it” . It has, therefore, largely been the function of theologians to articulate the definitions of salvation and how it manifests in the thoughts, actions and teachings of Christians across the intervening period since the death of Christ.
In order to address the implications for teaching the doctrine of salvation to children in schools in the 21st century, it is important, first, to explore some of the traditional and contemporary theological models of salvation that have informed Christian thinking over the last two thousand years and to understand both the strengths and limitations inherent in these paradigms of soteriological thought.
Over the last two millenia, a diverse range of models of salvation has emerged, each seeking to define salvation and the way in which it may be achieved. Each model
That Jesus Christ is saviour is one of the core beliefs of Christianity. Outline and critically evaluate some traditional ways of understanding salvation. Outline and critically evaluate some contemporary theologians’ thinking on salvation. Briefly address the implications of this for teaching salvation in schools.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines salvation as “deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ” .
“Sin”, in turn is defined as “an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law” .
One of the core beliefs of Christianity it that Jesus Christ is saviour and is, therefore, responsible for delivering humanity from perpetrating acts that are considered transgressions against God’s will.
The Catholic Church, however, has never articulated a definitive explanation of how Christ will achieve salvation. This has led to diverse and, at times, conflicting interpretations of the nature and function of salvation. Indeed, Hill says that the meaning of salvation is “elusive ... pluralist ... [and] fluid ... [and] every Christian knows its meaning until asked to explain it” . It has, therefore, largely been the function of theologians to articulate the definitions of salvation and how it manifests in the thoughts, actions and teachings of Christians across the intervening period since the death of Christ.
In order to address the implications for teaching the doctrine of salvation to children in schools in the 21st century, it is important, first, to explore some of the traditional and contemporary theological models of salvation that have informed Christian thinking over the last two thousand years and to understand both the strengths and limitations inherent in these paradigms of soteriological thought.
Over the last two millenia, a diverse range of models of salvation has emerged, each seeking to define salvation and the way in which it may be achieved. Each model