Salvation

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In theology, salvation can mean three related things:

• being saved from or liberation from something, such as suffering or the punishment of sin – also called deliverance;

• being saved for something, such as an afterlife or participating in the Reign of God – also called redemption
• social liberation and healing, as in liberation theology.

The theological study of salvation is called Soteriology and also covers the means by which salvation is effected or achieved, and its results or effects.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Soteriology 2.1 Soteriologies 3 Christianity 3.1 Salvation-related passages in the Christian Scriptures 3.2 Roman Catholicism 3.3 Eastern Christianity 3.4 Protestants 3.4.1 Calvinism 3.4.2 Churches of Christ 3.4.3 Arminianism 3.4.4 Universalism 3.5 Emerging Church, Liberal Theology, and Liberation Theology 3.6 Christian Science and Salvation 3.7 New Church 3.8 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 4 Judaism 5 Islam 6 Eastern Religions 6.1 Hinduism 6.2 Buddhism 6.3 Jainism 7 Redemption 8 See also 9 References 10 External links

[edit] Etymology

Salvation is a 13th century English word c.1225, originally contributed to the Christian sense, from O. Fr. salvaciun, from L.L. salvationem (nom. salvatio, a Church L. translation of Gk. soteria), noun of action from salvare "to save" (see save) [1], meaning deliverance from Gk. soter saviour + -logy, Soteriology.

[edit] Soteriology

Soteriology is the study of salvation. Soter, meaning saviour, and logos meaning word, reason or principle. Many religions give emphasis to salvation of one form or another, and as such have their own soteriologies. Some soteriologies are primarily concerned with relationships to, or unity with, gods; others more strongly emphasize the cultivation of knowledge or virtue. Soteriologies also differ in what sort of salvation they promise.

[edit] Soteriologies

Christian soteriology focuses on how Jesus Christ saves people from their sins, reconciling them with the Triune God. Islamic soteriology focuses on how humans can repent of and atone for their sins so as not to occupy a state of loss. Sikhism advocates the pursuit of salvation through disciplined, personal meditation on the name and message of God, meant to bring one into union with God. Hinduism, which teaches that we are caught in a cycle of death and rebirth called samsara, contains a slightly different sort of soteriology devoted to the attainment of transcendent moksha, meaning liberation. For some this liberation is also seen as a state of closeness to Brahman. Jainism emphasizes penance and asceticism meant to lead to a liberation and ascendance of the soul. Buddhism is in a real sense devoted primarily to soteriology, i.e. liberation from suffering, ignorance, rebirth. Epicureanism is primarily concerned with temperance and simple life as a means to the absence of pain or freedom from anxiety (αταραξία) and Stoicism is concerned with the cultivation of virtues such as fortitude and detachment to improve spiritual well-being. Shinto and Tenrikyo similarly emphasize working for a good life by cultivating virtue or virtuous behavior, and many practitioners of Judaism also emphasize morality in this life over concern with the afterlife. In Falun Dafa (traditional Chinese: 法輪大法) salvation refers to cultivation practice, or xiu lian, a process of giving up human attachments and assimilating to the Buddha Fa(佛 Fǒ, 法 Fǎ), or the fundamental characteristic of the universe, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance (真 zhen, 善 shan, 忍 ren).

[edit] Christianity

Main article: Christian Soteriology

[edit] Salvation-related passages in the Christian Scriptures

The New Testament contains 138 verses that, in English translation, use the words "salvation" (45), "save" (41) or "saved" (52). The following are some of the New Testament passages most cited in this regard. Interpretation of them varies. Sometimes it is necessary to make a distinction between temporal salvation (deliverance from earthly troubles) and eternal salvation (deliverance from sin and God's wrath) when considering the use of the term salvation in the Christian faith.

• Belief in Jesus: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

• God's love: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) "God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved)" (Ephesians 2:4-5). "When the kindness of God our Saviour, and his love toward man, appeared ..." (Titus 3:4).

• Sin separates humanity from God. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12).

• God gives eternal life because Jesus Christ atoned for our sin: "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

• Saved (from sin) by asking Him for forgiveness just as we forgive others: "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15).

• Confession and believing: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."—"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9-10). "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).

• Saved by baptism (you must also believe to be saved): "He that *believeth* and is baptized shall be saved..." (Mark 16:16). "Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 3:20-21; "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection" (Romans 6:3-5).

• Must be born again: "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." and " Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:3-5).

• What must we do?: On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up in front of the crowd of 3000 and preached about the death and resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2). When the crowd was convicted and asked Peter what they needed to do he replied, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).

• Saved by God's grace: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). The word grace is further clarified and defined in (Titus 3:5-7) : "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

• Salvation and works: "You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone" (James 2:24). This verse and the surrounding passage is disputed, centering primarily on the meaning of the word justified. Most Protestants argue the word rendered justified is not used as "to make righteous" but to be "shown already righteous" (as the word is used in Matthew 11:19), meaning that a person's good behaviour proves they have been saved, as God is sanctifying them, making them a better person, after having saved them. Thus most Protestants distinguish sharply between (and some separate entirely) sanctification from justification. Catholics see justification and sanctification as being integrated together. The Council of Trent, while anathematizing any who would say that man can, before God, be justified by the works he does by human strength alone, without the divine grace merited by Jesus Christ (canon 1 of its Decree on justification), declared that the justice granted to Christians is preserved and increased by good works, and accordingly these are more than just the fruit and sign of justification obtained (canon 24).

• Judged by Works: "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works" (Revelation 20:12-13). All Protestants do not agree with this type of interpretation of this verse. Some believe there will be the judgment all unsaved people go through called the "white throne judgment" (Revelation 20:10-15), but for all those who are saved they will appear before the “judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:9-10). In that judgment, believers will get rewards based on what they have done, whether they are good or bad. If they are not saved, Christ will proclaim,"Depart from me, I never knew ye," and they will be thrown into hell. They do not believe eternal life is a reward that is going to be given out in consequence of works done (1 Corinthians 3:11-14). Others understand it in the same way as the "Saved by Works" verses, in the sense that those who will not have done good proved they were not saved, because their works did not correspond to their 'saved' status. See also Romans 2:6.

• Saved by participating in the natural order: "Yet she shall be saved through child-bearing, if they continue in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety" 1 Timothy 2:15.

• Salvation as already achieved: "When the kindness of God our Saviour, and his love towards man, appeared, not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:4-7).

• Salvation as an on-going process: "To us who are being saved, (the word of the cross) is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18). The original text of this passage in Greek has present-tense σῳζομένοις (being saved), not perfect-tense σεσῳσμένοις (having been saved) or past-tense (aorist-tense) σῳθεῖσιν (saved); ambiguous translations such as "us which are saved" (KJV) obscure this.

• Salvation as yet to be obtained: "Since, therefore, we are now justified by (Christ's) blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God" (Romans 5:9).

In some nine verses, the Wisdom of Sirach (considered by Orthodox and Catholics to be deuterocanonical), while not using the words "save" or "salvation", places a heavy emphasis on the importance of almsgiving, saying that performing this act can atone for sin, e.g., "Water extinguishes a blazing fire: so almsgiving atones for sin" (Sir 3:30). Similarly, sin is spoken of as being atoned for by sacrifice, e.g., "On this day atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before the Lord" (Leviticus 16:30)

[edit] Roman Catholicism

Roman Catholics believe^[1] "Man stands in need of salvation from God,"^[2] and "Divine help comes to him in Christ through the law that guides him and the grace that sustains him."^[3] It was for our salvation that "God loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins; the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world, and he was revealed to take away sins."^[4] "By his death (Jesus, the Son of God) has conquered death, and so opened the possibility of salvation to all men."^[5]

Jesus has provided the Church with "the fullness of the means of salvation which [the Father] has willed: correct and complete confession of faith, full sacramental life, and ordained ministry in apostolic succession".^[6] Baptism is necessary for salvation.^[7] And the sacrament of Penance is necessary for salvation for those who have fallen after Baptism, just as Baptism is necessary for salvation for those who have not yet been reborn."^[8] But these are not the only sacraments of importance for salvation: "The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation."^[9] This holds especially for the Eucharist: ".Every time this mystery is celebrated, the work of our redemption is carried on and we break the one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ."^[10]

At the same time, however, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that through the graces Jesus won for humanity by sacrificing himself on the cross, salvation is possible even for those outside the visible boundaries of the Church. Christians and even non-Christians, if in life they respond positively to the grace and truth that God reveals to them through the mercy of Christ may be saved. This may include awareness of an obligation to become part of the Catholic Church. In such cases, "they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it, or to remain in it."^[11] Catholics believe that people, even those who are not explicitly Christian, have the moral law written in their hearts, according to Jeremiah 31:33 (prophecy of new covenant): "I will write my law on their hearts." St. Justin wrote that those who have not accepted Christ but follow the moral law of their hearts (logos) follow God, because it is God who has written the moral law in each person's heart. Though he may not explicitly recognize it, he has the spirit of Christ. According to Fr. William Most's article for EWTN (the primary Catholic television network), those who have the spirit of Christ belong to the body of Christ. He writes, "Those who follow the Spirit of Christ, the Logos who writes the law on their hearts, are Christians, are members of Christ, are members of His Church. They may lack indeed external adherence; they may never have heard of the Church. But yet, in the substantial sense, without formal adherence, they do belong to Christ, to His Church."

Catholic doctrine states that a person is not guilty of disbelief in Christ, and could be saved, if it is due to invincible ignorance, or ignorance which could not be disposed of, even if the person were to try to educate himself or herself about the nature of God. Such ignorance may be a result of a non-Catholic or non-Christian upbringing, as well as a result of never having heard of Jesus. However, those who are saved even though they have not faith in Jesus are saved not because of their disbelief, but in spite of it, because of God's mercy.

Finally, a Catholic's salvation also depends on the actions he freely chooses during his life. If he commits a very grave sin, fully conscious of its severity and with full intent, then he could not be saved without repenting for the action.

[edit] Eastern Christianity

Eastern Christianity was much less influenced by Augustine, and even less so by either Calvin or Arminius. Consequently, it doesn't just have different answers, but asks different questions; it generally views salvation in less legalistic terms (grace, punishment, and so on) and in more medical terms (sickness, healing etc.), and with less exacting precision. Instead, it views salvation more along the lines of theosis, a seeking to become holy or draw closer to God, a concept that has been developed over the centuries by many different Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Christians. It also stresses Jesus' teaching about forgiveness in Matthew 6:14-15: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." See also Sermon on the Mount.

The Longer Catechism of the Orthodox, Catholic, Eastern Church, known also as The Catechism of St. Philaret [2] includes the questions and answers: "155. To save men from what did (the Son of God) come upon earth? From sin, the curse, and death." "208. How does the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross deliver us from sin, the curse, and death? That we may the more readily believe this mystery, the Word of God teaches us of it, so much as we may be able to receive, by the comparison of Jesus Christ with Adam. Adam is by nature the head of all humanity, which is one with him by natural descent from him. Jesus Christ, in whom the Godhead is united with manhood, graciously made himself the new almighty Head of men, whom he unites to himself through faith. Therefore as in Adam we had fallen under sin, the curse, and death, so we are delivered from sin, the curse, and death in Jesus Christ. His voluntary suffering and death on the cross for us, being of infinite value and merit, as the death of one sinless, God and man in one person, is both a perfect satisfaction to the justice of God, which had condemned us for sin to death, and a fund of infinite merit, which has obtained him the right, without prejudice to justice, to give us sinners pardon of our sins, and grace to have victory over sin and death.

Orthodox theology teaches prevenient grace, meaning that God makes the first movement toward man, and that salvation is impossible from our own will alone. However, man is endowed with free will, and an individual can either accept or reject the grace of God. Thus an individual must cooperate with God's grace in order to be saved, though he can claim no credit of his own, as any progress he makes is possible only by the grace of God.

[edit] Protestants

Broadly speaking, Protestants hold to the five solas of the Reformation, which declare salvation to be by faith alone through grace alone in Christ alone. Some Protestants understand this to mean that God saves solely by grace and that works follow as a necessary consequence of saving grace (see Lordship salvation), while others believe that salvation is rigidly by faith alone without any reference to works whatsoever (see Free Grace theology), while still others believe that salvation is by faith alone but that salvation can be forfeited if it is not accompanied by continued faith and the works that naturally follow from it.

[edit] Calvinism

Calvinists, who adhere to Lordship salvation, further understand the doctrines of salvation to include (but not limited to) the five points of Calvinism, all of which contrast sharply with Arminianism. In the Calvinist system, all people are born sinful (see original sin) and thus are in need of God to save them. God's plan of salvation included the appointing of the elect before the foundation of the world, according to His sovereign good pleasure. The entire process of being born again (or regeneration) is performed solely by the Holy Spirit prior to the person exercising faith, and, indeed, the doctrine of total inability says that faith is impossible apart from such divine intervention. All the elect necessarily persevere in faith because God keeps them from falling away. Thus, the Calvinist system is called monergism because God alone acts to bring about salvation.

Calvinists recognize three tenses of salvation as they are used in the Bible: a Christian has been saved (past), is being saved (present), and will be saved (future). These three steps have also been distinctly referred to as: regeneration, sanctification, and glorification. All three tenses are needed in order to be saved, all three are freely given of God through Jesus Christ, and all three together constitute the full biblical meaning of salvation. Calvinists confirm, according to Romans 8:30 & Philippians 1:6, that the presence of the first (i.e. if you have been saved) means that the other two will surely follow.

[edit] Churches of Christ

See also: Churches of Christ, Church of Christ

Churches of Christ adopt the standard Protestant notions that humans are lost in sin but can be redeemed because Jesus Christ, the Son of God, offered himself as the atoning sacrifice. However, the means of salvation that these churches practice relies heavily on the role played by the doctrine of baptism. Churches of Christ generally reject original sin, Calvinism, and Arminianism. The Salvation of babies and children is assured by God's grace. Once believers reach an age of accountability, they must believe in the Lord with all their heart (Acts 16:31), repent of all sin (Acts 2:38), confess their faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9), and be buried in Believer's baptism (Acts 2:38; Col. 2:12; Gal. 3:26-27). Churches of Christ differ on whether or not this plan constitutes a salvific work, a sign of faith, or a free gift of God's grace, and because they are strongly congregational, there is no statement of uniformity on this matter.

[edit] Arminianism

Like Calvinists, Arminians agree that all people are born sinful and are in need of salvation that only comes in the way described by the five solas. However, they argue that each person can successfully resist God's offer of salvation and that a person can lose his or her salvation if one does not maintain it by continued faith in Jesus. Arminians distinguish between loss of faith and sin and believe that sin alone cannot result in the loss of salvation. However, John Wesley taught that that continued backsliding could inevitably lead to loss of faith, and consequently salvation, if left uncorrected.

The Arminian emphasis on free will, or more properly, free choice is important in salvation. If one has free choice, each individual can choose to accept or reject the gift of salvation. The fact that an individual is baptized or associates with other Christians does not mean that he or she has accepted salvation.

Those in the Reformed Protestant camp frequently attach the label Semipelagianism to Arminian ideas.^{[citation needed]} Many Arminians disagree with this generalization and consider it a libel against Jacobus Arminius, John Wesley, and the many other Arminians who maintain original sin and total depravity.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Universalism

Universalists agree with both Calvinists and Arminians that men are born in sin and in need of salvation. They also believe that one is saved by Jesus Christ. However, they emphasize that judgment in hell upon sinners is of limited duration, and that God uses judgment to bring sinners to repentance.[3].

[edit] Emerging Church, Liberal Theology, and Liberation Theology

Within the emerging church and various branches of liberal or progressive Christianity, there are a number of different views on the meaning of salvation. This is largely related to post-modern views on Christianity as a dialogue rather than a set of doctrines. Salvation can mean a salvific personal and/or social deliverance from the effects of structural (social) or personal sins. In this context, salvation could mean anything from participation in a glorious afterlife – which is generally a less-commonly held belief in these circles – to a kind of liberation similar to that in Hinduism or Buddhism, to the repair of interpersonal relationships, to societal deliverance into a future perfect world (ie. the New Jerusalem or the Reign of God), and even to such concepts as gay liberation, women's liberation, the raising up of the oppressed and marginalized, or the equal distribution of goods. Any or all of these views are likely to be held and debated within the emerging church.

[edit] Christian Science and Salvation

The Christian Science textbook defines "Salvation" as follows: "Life, Truth and Love understood and demonstrated as supreme over all; sin, sickness, and death destroyed." (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures p. 593, by Mary Baker Eddy.)

[edit] New Church

In the New Church salvation is seen as the process of spiritual rebirth, rather than an instantaneous event. Christ is not seen as an atoning sacrifice to appease an angry Father, but is seen as Jehovah, God Himself, come to subdue the Hells, make His Human Divine, and redeem people's freedom to believe in Him and follow the path of salvation He has laid out. This path is seen in the model of His life on earth. It is still believed that a person is saved by Divine grace, but that one has the choice and must stop doing evil actions in order to receive this grace.

[edit] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

See also: Perfection (Latter Day Saints) and Plan of salvation

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints defines the term salvation in two distinct ways, based on the teachings of their modern-day prophet Joseph Smith, as recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. The general Christian belief that salvation means returning to the presence of God and Jesus Christ is similar to the way the word is used in the Book of Mormon, wherein the prophet Amulek teaches that through the "great and last sacrifice" of the Son of God, "he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; ... to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice;" (Alma 34:14-16)

[edit] Judaism

Rabbinic Judaism teaches that "Every Jew has a share in the world to come (the afterlife)" (TB Sanhedrin 90a), and also that "the righteous people of other (non-Jewish) nations...", those who follow the elementary morals embodied in the Seven Noahide Laws, "...have a share in the world to come" (Tos. Sanhedrin 13, TB ibid. 105a). Although a person who sins may be punished either in this world or the next, punishment in the next world is in most cases limited in duration to 12 months (Mish. Eiduyot 2:10). Complete loss of a share in the afterlife (or, alternatively, eternal punishment; TB Rosh Hashanah 17a) is imposed for only a small number of very serious sins, most of which have to do with heresy. Even then a person can regain his share in the world to come through repentance and atonement. E. P. Sanders describes this overall view of salvation as "covenantal nomism".

Some Jewish denominations disagree with Rabbinic Judaism regarding the nature or importance of the afterlife. For them, the "world to come" may not be a significant focus of religious thought, since they emphasize that Judaism concentrates on the here and now.

See also Jewish Encyclopedia: Salvation, Christianity and Judaism, Jewish principles of faith.

[edit] Islam

See also: Jannah

In the Qur'an, God (Allah in Arabic), states (2:62): Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the converts; anyone who (1) believes in GOD, and (2) believes in the Last Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. [4]

According to all the traditional schools of jurisprudence, faith (Iman) ensures salvation. There are however differing views concerning the formal constituents of the act of faith. "For the Asharis it is centred on internal taṣdīḳ[internal judgment of veracity], for the Māturīdī-Ḥanafīs on the expressed profession of faith and the adherence of the heart, for the Muʿtazilīs on the performance of the 'prescribed duties', for the Ḥanbalīs and the Wahhābīs on the profession of faith and the performance of the basic duties."^[12] The common denominator of these various opinions is summed up in bearing witness that God is the Lord, L. Gardet states.^[12]

There are traditions in which Muhammad stated that "No one shall enter hell who has an atom of faith in his heart" or that "Hell will not welcome anyone who has in his heart an atom of faith" however these passages are interpreted in different ways. Those who consider performance as an integral part of faith such as Ḵh̲ārid̲j̲īs, consider anyone who does a grave sin to be out of faith, while the majority of Sunnis who view works as merely the perfecting the faith, hold that a believing sinner will be punished with a temporary stay in hell. Still there are disagreements over the possibility of a believing sinner being forgiven immediately (e.g As̲h̲ʿarīs) and in full rather than undergoing temporary punishment. (e.g. Māturīdīs)^[12]

Muslims also believe that those who have heard the messages of a prophet of God (Moses, Jesus or Muhammad) but chosen not to follow will receive eternal damnation in hell.

[edit] Eastern Religions

Main article: Moksha

Adherents of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism do not believe in salvation in the sense understood by most Westerners. They have no explicit Hell to be saved from or Heaven to be saved to. They believe in reincarnation (Buddhism rebirth) after death. According to this belief, one's works or karma allow one to be reborn as a higher or lower being. If one is evil and has a multitude of bad works, one is likely to be reborn as a lower animal, possibly a worm. If one has a multitude of good works or good karma, one is likely to be reborn as a higher being, perhaps a human with higher status or in a higher caste.

Eventually, however, one is able to escape from the cycle of death and rebirth (samsara) and achieve salvation through the attainment of the highest spiritual state. This state is called Moksha or Mukti in Hinduism, Sac Khand in Sikhism, Moksa or Nirvana in Jainism and often called Nirvana in Buddhism. This state is not one of individual happiness, but a merging of oneself with collective existence. In some beliefs, this existence is identified with God.

[edit] Hinduism

Salvation is the soul's liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth and attainment of the highest spiritual state. It is the ultimate goal of, where even hell and heaven are temporary. This is called Moksha (Sanskrit: मोक्ष, liberation) or Mukti (Sanskrit: मुक्ति, release). Moksha is a final release from one's worldly conception of self, the loosening of the shackles of experiential duality and a re-establishment in one's own fundamental nature, though the nature is seen as ineffable and beyond sensation. The actual state of salvation is seen differently depending on one's beliefs.

• In Advaita, a monistic philosophy, which comprises most forms of Shaivism and some forms of Vaishnavism, it is oneness with Brahman, without form or being, something that essentially is without manifestation.

• In dualist Hinduism, as found mostly in different forms of Vaishnavism, it is union or close association with God.

In Hinduism, moksha occurs when the individual soul (human mind/spirit) or atman recognizes its identity with the Ground of all being - the Source of all phenomenal existence known as Brahman. The religion recognizes several paths to achieve this state, none of which is exclusive. They are the ways of selfless work (Karma Yoga), of self-dissolving love (Bhakti Yoga), of absolute discernment & knowledge(Jnana Yoga), and of 'royal' meditative immersion (Raja Yoga).

In much the same manner as Christ took the sins upon himself, Shiva swallowed the poison, halahala, so that it would not kill the creation. Shiva's act is celebrated at the Hindu festival Shivratri, also in March at about the same time as Easter.

[edit] Buddhism

Liberation, called Nirvana in Buddhism, is seen as an end to suffering, rebirth and ignorance. The Four Noble Truths outline some of Buddhist soteriology: they describe suffering (dukkha) and its causes, the possibility of its cessation, and the way to its cessation, i.e. the Noble Eightfold Path, which includes morality and meditation. The means of achieving liberation are further developed in other Buddhist teachings. They are expressed in very different terms by Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhists.

[edit] Jainism

Main articles: Moksa (Jainism) and Nirvana (Jainism)

Mokṣa in Jainism means liberation, salvation or emancipation of soul. It is a blissful state of existence of a soul, completely free from the karmic bondage, free from samsara, the cycle of birth and death. A liberated soul is said to have attained its true and pristine nature of infinite bliss, infinite knowledge and infinite perception. Such a soul is called siddha or paramatman and considered as supreme soul or God. In Jainism, it is the highest and the noblest objective that a soul should strive to achieve. It fact, it is the only objective that a person should have; other objectives are contrary to the true nature of soul. With right faith, knowledge and efforts all souls can attain this state. Samaṇ Suttaṁ ^[13]contains the following description of Nirvāṇa or mokṣa -

“

Where there is neither pain nor pleasure, neither suffering nor obstacle, neither birth nor death, there is emancipation.(617) Where there are neither sense organs, nor surprise, nor sleep, nor thirst, nor hunger, there is emancipation.(618) Where there is neither Karma, nor quasi-Karma nor the worry, nor any type of thinking which is technically called Artta, Raudra, Dharma and Sukla, there is Nirvāṇa. (619)

”

According to Jainism, moksa or liberation can be attained only in the human birth. Even the demi-gods and heavenly beings have to re-incarnate as humans and practice right faith, knowledge and conduct to achieve liberation. According to Jainism, human birth is quite rare and invaluable and hence a man should make his choices wisely.

[edit] Redemption

For other uses of the word, see Redemption

Redemption is a religious concept referring to forgiveness or absolution for past sins and protection from eternal damnation. Redemption is common in many world religions and all Abrahamic Religions, especially in Christianity and Islam. In Christianity redemption is synonymous with salvation.

[edit] See also

• Antinomianism
• Atonement
• Born Again
• Divine filiation
• Legalism (theology)
• New Birth
• Plan of Salvation as used by Mormons (LDS). The term is used more broadly within Christianity to outline a personal process one might follow to attain salvation in Christ.
• Predestination
• Prevenient Grace
• Sin
• Total Depravity
• Compare: moksha

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• "The Scripture Way to Salvation", a sermon by John Wesley (Protestant Christian - Methodist/Wesleyan perspective)
• "God's Plan of Salvation" (conservative Evangelical perspective)
• Salvation in Islam