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Christian Soteriology
Soteriology

Christian Soteriology is the branch of Christian theology that deals with salvation. It is derived from the Greek language soterion + English -logy....
 is the branch of Christian theology
Christian theology

Christian theology is discourse concerning Christianity faith. Christian theologians use biblical exegesis, rationality analysis and argument to understanding, explanation, test, critic#critique, defend or promote Christianity....
 that deals with salvation. It is derived from the Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 soterion (salvation) (from soter savior, preserver) + English -logy
-logy

-logy is a suffix in English language, found in words originally adapted from Ancient Greek words ending in -????a . The earliest English examples were anglicizations of the French language -logie, which was in turn inherited from the Latin language -logia....
. For similar concepts in other religions, see Salvation
Salvation

In religion, salvation is the concept that God saves humanity from death. As commonly conceived, He has both Will of God and omnipotence to realize human salvation....
.

stian soteriology traditionally focuses on how God ends the separation people have from him due to sin by reconciling them with himself.






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Christian Soteriology
Soteriology

Christian Soteriology is the branch of Christian theology that deals with salvation. It is derived from the Greek language soterion + English -logy....
 is the branch of Christian theology
Christian theology

Christian theology is discourse concerning Christianity faith. Christian theologians use biblical exegesis, rationality analysis and argument to understanding, explanation, test, critic#critique, defend or promote Christianity....
 that deals with salvation. It is derived from the Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 soterion (salvation) (from soter savior, preserver) + English -logy
-logy

-logy is a suffix in English language, found in words originally adapted from Ancient Greek words ending in -????a . The earliest English examples were anglicizations of the French language -logie, which was in turn inherited from the Latin language -logia....
. For similar concepts in other religions, see Salvation
Salvation

In religion, salvation is the concept that God saves humanity from death. As commonly conceived, He has both Will of God and omnipotence to realize human salvation....
.

Traditional focus

Christian soteriology traditionally focuses on how God ends the separation people have from him due to sin by reconciling them with himself. (). Many Christians believe they receive the forgiveness of sins (), life (), and salvation () bought by Jesus
Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth , also known as Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and is revered by most Christian churches as the Son of God and the Incarnation ....
 through his innocent suffering, death, and resurrection from the dead three days later ().

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
Divine grace

In theology, grace may be described as 'enabling power sufficient for progression'. In Christianity, grace divine is an "unmerited favour" of God, indispensable gift from God for development, improvement, and character expansion, and without God's grace, there are certain limitations, weaknesses, flaws, impurities, and faults mankind cannot...
 in Christ () is received as a gift of God that cannot be merited by works done prior to one's conversion to Christianity (), which is brought about by hearing God's Word ().

Distinct schools

Protestant teaching, originating with Martin Luther, teaches that salvation is received by grace alone
Sola gratia

Sola gratia is one of the five solas propounded to summarise the Reformers' basic beliefs during the Protestant Reformation; it is a Latin term meaning divine grace alone....
 and that one's sole necessary response to this grace is faith alone
Sola fide

Sola fide , also historically known as the doctrine of Justification by faith, is a doctrine that distinguishes most Protestantism denominations from Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Christianity, and most Restorationists in Christianity....
. Older Christian teaching, as found in Catholic and Orthodox theology, is that salvation is received by grace alone
Sola gratia

Sola gratia is one of the five solas propounded to summarise the Reformers' basic beliefs during the Protestant Reformation; it is a Latin term meaning divine 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
    Orthodox Christianity

    KAHThe term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christianity churches of Byzantine Rite tradition that adhere to the first seven Ecumenical Councils, and are in full communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and with each other....
     and Catholic
    Roman Catholic Church

    The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
    :
    • Justification
      Justification (theology)

      In Christian theology, justification is God's act of declaring or making a sinner righteousness before God. The concept of justification occurs in many books of the Old and New Testaments....
      ,
    • the Church,
    • Sacrament
      Sacrament

      A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a rite in which God is uniquely active." Augustine of Hippo defined a Christian sacrament as "a visible sign of an invisible reality." The Anglican Book of Common Prayer speaks of them as "an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible Grace." Examples of sacram...
      s
    • freedom of will
      Free will

      The question of free will is whether, and in what sense, rational agents exercise control over their actions and decisions. Addressing this question requires understanding the relationship between freedom and Causality, and determining whether the laws of nature are causally deterministic....
  • Arminianism
    Arminianism

    Arminianism is a school of Soteriology thought within Protestant Christianity based on the Christian theology ideas of the Netherlands Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic followers, the Remonstrants....
    's synergism
  • Calvinism
    Calvinism

    Calvinism is a theology system and an approach to the Christian life that emphasizes the rule of God over all things. It was developed by several theologians, but it bears the name of the French Protestant Reformation John Calvin because of his prominent influence on it and because of his role in the confessional and ecclesiastical debates t...
    's predestination
    Predestination

    Predestination is a religion concept, which involves the relationship between God and His creation. The religious character of predestination distinguishes it from other ideas about determinism and free will....
  • Lutheran doctrine, in a wide range of ideas, including
    • conversion
      Religious conversion

      Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion identity, or a change from one religious identity to another. This typically entails the sincere avowal of a new belief system, but may also present itself in other ways, such as adoption into an identity group or spiritual lineage....
       
    • Justification by grace alone through faith alone
    • the Means of Grace
    • the Church .


See also

  • Atonement
    Atonement

    The atonement is a doctrine found within both Christianity and Judaism. It describes how sin can be forgiven by God. In Judaism, Atonement is said to be the process of forgiving or pardoning a transgression....
  • Christology
    Christology

    Christology is a field of study within Christian theology which is concerned with the nature of Jesus the Christ, particularly with how the divine and human are related in his person....
  • Original sin
    Original sin

    Original sin is, according to a doctrine in Christian theology, humanity's state of sin resulting from the Fall of Man. While the Old Testament and the New Testament, which frequently speak of the sinfulness of humans, do not contain the terms "original sin" or "ancestral sin", the doctrine expressed by these terms is claimed to be based on t...
  • Salvation
    Salvation

    In religion, salvation is the concept that God saves humanity from death. As commonly conceived, He has both Will of God and omnipotence to realize human salvation....
  • Ecclesiology
    Ecclesiology

    Ecclesiology is the study of the Christian theology understanding of the Christian church. Specific areas of concern include the church's role in salvation, its origin, its relationship to the historical Jesus, its discipline, its eschatology, and its clergy....
  • Theosis
    Theosis

    In Christianity theology, particularly in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholic Churches theology, theosis is the process of a believer in emulating the life example of Jesus Christ and of following the gospel of Christ in one's daily life; the process of seeking to become more holy....


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