Soteriology:
Ways of Salvation and Liberation
Introduction
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Soteriology can be defined as a
study of the ways of salvation by religious traditions. The word
“salvation” comes from the Latin word for “health,
wholeness.” While it may not be appropriate to use this term in
every case, it is a fact that every major religious tradition
teaches that human beings are in need of need of
transformation, deliverance or wholeness. In this unit we will
focus on three major ways of salvation found in the major
religions of the world. Keep in mind, however, that these paths
to wholeness are not necessarily mutually exclusive; moreover,
although one path may be dominant in a religious tradition,
other paths or "ways or being religious) are also present. |
The Way of Grace through Faith
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Faith refers to “the
total response of a person – heart, mind, and will.” It implies
not simple intellectual assent, but a trust in divine grace and
unmerited love. Examples of the salvation through faith include
Protestant Christianity as articulated by Martin Luther and
Mahayana Buddhism as taught by Shinran. |
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Martin Luther (1483-1546) was
the leader of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. Through his
own struggles and doubts he came to the conclusion that
salvation or righteousness is attained not by good works, but by
God’s grace through faith alone. Righteousness thus is a gift
simply to be accepted by faith rather than a reward for one’s
own achievements. This is not to say that good works are
unimportant. Rather, good works flow naturally from those who
have been saved by grace through faith. |
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Amida Buddhism: Shinran
(1173-1262 C.E.) was a Buddhist teacher who advanced the
doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in Amida.
In Mahayana Buddhism, Amida was the celestial Bodhisattva who
was most concerned with the earthly beings. Amida used his
merit to create a world that would provide people the perfect
environment to reach enlightenment and Nirvana. Shinran came to
believe that it was impossible for a person to do good works and
thus through good karma to achieve Nirvana. The only way to be
released from the endless cycle of births and deaths is by
trusting only in the mercy of Amida, whose out of compassion
brings the person to his perfect land. It should not be assumed
that the way of faith is easy, however; rather, it is extremely
difficult because human pride always tempts us to seek salvation
by our own deeds rather than by relying on Amida. |
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The Way of Devotion
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Livingston suggests that
the way of devotion is usually a component of the way of action
and the way of faith. Devotion is usually an intense,
emotional sense of love and loyalty to a deity for his/her
kindness and grace. In addition, the way of devotion is
often characterized as deeply personal and even ecstatic.
Examples of the way of devotion are numerous and include
many different religious traditions:
- In Christianity, Protestant Revivalism and the writings
of St. Teresa of Avila reflect ecstatic, emotional
experience of God. .
- In Islam, Sufism is a mystical path that focuses
on an ecstatic direct experience of God.
- In Hinduism, bhakti is an intense devotion to a
deity such as Krishna or Kali.
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