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Salvation & Redemption
Chapter 13
Last Chapter
Next week’s lecture not from the text.
The Ultimate Human Destiny
Various Religious Traditions
Heaven
Nirvana
Enlightenment
Wholeness
Self-actualization
Absorption in the Ultimate
Reconciliation between humans & God
And many others
Summary of Religious Thinking on Salvation
All religions have a concept of wholeness and fulfillment.
Most religions stress the need to arrive at this ultimate destination
Beginning from a state of brokenness or lack or separation
Salvation implies…
Process
Event
State of healing
Health
Fulfillment
Wholeness
The Term Salvation
A key term in the Christian tradition
There are various interpretations within the tradition.
Movement from one state or condition of being to another.
From a lesser state to a fuller state
From a bad, deficient, inadequate, or "lost" state > a good, fulfilled, adequate, or "saved" state.
Salvation—A Generalization
Something is wrong in the present natural state of human life.
Existence has gone askew.
Human beings need restoration to a
Redeemed, or
God-centered, or
Reality centered state
Redemption or Restoration
Depends on some:
Activity, or
Process, or
Event, or
Agent
The goal is to reorient one’s existence.
For the Christian
The agent is
God’s love in Jesus
Christ
The process or event is
Coming to believe and have faith in God’s love given in Christ
Salvation here means being saved from a destructive self-centeredness and oriented toward a Christ-centeredness.
Redemption is Dependent
God takes the initiative
This action for Christians is called "grace."
The power to respond to God in a healthy way, reaching out for one’s full potential—for which one is created.
Paul Tillich
Paul Tillich is highly regarded as a mediate theologian who stands at the boundary between liberalism and neo-orthodoxy, idealism and realism, Protestant and Roman Catholic theology.
Tillich on "Grace"
The essential experience of God’s grace is knowing one is accepted by God.
Quote, pg. 218, "You are accepted…"
Both objective knowledge and subjective experience are needed, but the subjective experience is crucial.
Hare Krishna
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada appeared in this world in 1896 in Calcutta, India.
Hare Krishna "salvation"
See Quote, pg. 219 in text
Summary: Hindu salvation, or fulfillment comes through movement from illusion (maya) to release from the cycle of rebirths (moksha).
Buddhism "salvation"
Consciousness moving from a state of bondage to destructive self-centered desire to Nirvana.
Various Understandings of Grace
Some forms of Hinduism:
An individual may rely on the gods Vishnu and Shiva for assistance in attaining release from reincarnation.
Mahayana Buddhism:
The gracious love of the Bodhisattva benefits the belier in the journey to Nirvana.
Muslim & Jewish traditions:
More Concepts of Grace
Muslim & Jewish Traditions
God’s gracious love given through prophets and other religious leaders further a believers spiritual journey.
Polytheistic Religions
A god or goddess may bestow a special, unbidden, unmerited state on an individual or group
More Concepts of Grace & Salvation
The impersonal Divine (nature)
Exemplified in Greek Tragedy
This impersonal Divine may confer a healing or restoring power to a person.
Marxism (an ideology)
Salvation
The evolution of a classless society in which there will be no oppression and in which there will be equality, material plenty, and freedom for all.
West & East--Salvation
What do you see as the primary differences in salvation concepts between West and East?
Eschatology: The Final Fulfillment
Definition: "a study of last things"
The ultimate destiny of the whole human race and cosmos.
Judaism:
Apocalypse (means "revelation")
A particular moment in time when the dominant forces of evil will be defeated by the power of God.
Outcome of the Apocalypse
Judaism
The struggle between good and evil will be complete, decisive, and a final triumph of God and the forces of Good.
Islam and Christianity
Islam
There will come a day of judgment by Allah.
All the earth and creation will be shaken.
Each person rewarded or punished according to how he/she has lived.
Eschatology
Christianity
There will be a final end of this world and the coming of a new, splendid creation.
In the glorious new existence that is to come, the covenant promise to ancient Israel will be fulfilled beyond history.
God will make it so.
Eschatology (cont’d)
Christian
Quote, pg. 227, "Then I saw…."
The End
Papers due next Wednesday.
Study guide for final exam next Wednesday.
Final lecture
Final film