Discussion Points: Salvation

Test yourself

Analysing Christian Theories About Salvation

Can there be other means of salvation if Jesus is the ‘truth’?

Disagreements between religions

All of the religions could be wrong, but they cannot all be right.
There are fundamental disagreements between religions e.g. Christianity claims that Jesus is the son of God, Jews and Muslims disagree.
The message of Christianity is undermined and diluted if belief in Jesus Christ is not necessary for salvation.

Biblical support: sole salvation

Passages from the Bible support the position that Christianity is the only means of salvation.
- In John 14:6, it states ‘Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”’

Pluralist counter-argument

A pluralist might respond that Christ is ‘a truth’ rather than ‘the truth’.
It is not compatible with an all-loving and forgiving God that only those who believe in the Christian message are saved. Some people have more opportunities than others to access the Christian message. It is unfair to punish those who are unable to access it.

Craig: 'middle knowledge'

William Lane Craig argues that God possesses ‘middle knowledge’.
This knowledge enables God to know if people would have believed in the Christian message if they had a chance to hear it.

The Relationship Between a Loving God & Salvation

Would an omnibenevolent God deny any person salvation?

Not accepting Christian message

God has made salvation available to everyone. If people do not wish to accept the message of Christianity, then they cannot blame God for the consequences of their action.

Sin - undeserving of salvation

As humans are born with original sin, no one deserves salvation.
For Augustine, it is only through God’s love that a select few will reach salvation.

Pointless Christian message

If Jesus died on the cross for no reason, then the message of Christianity is pointless. There is no imperative to follow any religion if all people receive salvation whether they believe or not.

Free will to follow Christianity

A loving God would not force someone to be saved.
Human beings have to be free to decide if they want to follow Christianity, another religion or none at all.

Hicks on the afterlife

John Hick argues that the afterlife provides humans with the opportunity to develop their spiritual journey towards God. This is called universal salvation.

Pluralist argument about God

Pluralists argue that God has revealed himself in different ways to different people across different cultures.
Each religion provides a different means of understanding God, the divine or the ultimate reality.

Will All Good People Achieve Salvation?

Here are arguments for and against the idea that all good people will achieve salvation.

Arguments for

Some Biblical passages suggest that Christian faith alone is required for salvation.
- In John 3:16-18, it states ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’.
Many passages in the Bible teach that God will judge people on the basis of their actions rather than faith in God.
- The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats shows the Son of Man judging people on their treatment of the sick and vulnerable.

Argument against

Original sin means that all human beings will fall short of achieving salvation through good works. The grace of God means that all those who have Christian faith will be forgiven of sin.

Argument: unfair on non-Christians

There are many examples of people who have dedicated, even sacrificed, their lives for moral causes. Many of these people may not be Christian and it would be unfair for these people to be refused salvation.

Argument: faith & goodness needed

Some Biblical passages suggest that faith and good deeds are both necessary.
- Abraham is considered righteous because of his willingness to sacrifice his son for God based on faith and trust in God.

1Philosophy of Religion

1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato

1.1.1Plato's Understanding of Reality

1.1.2Plato's Theory of Forms

1.1.3Plato's Analogy of the Cave

1.1.4The Purpose of Plato's Analogy of the Cave

1.1.5Evaluation of Plato's Theories

1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle

1.2.1Aristotle's Understanding of Reality

1.2.2Aristotle's Four Causes

1.2.3Aristotle's Prime Mover

1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body

1.3.1Plato & Aristotle's Views of the Soul

1.3.2Metaphysics of Consciousness

1.3.3Materialism - Ryle’s Philosophical Behaviourism

1.3.4Materialism - Identity Theory

1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation

1.4.1The Teleological Argument - Aquinas' Fifth Way

1.4.2The Teleological Argument - Paley & Evolution

1.4.3The Cosmological Argument

1.4.4Hume's Criticisms: Teleological & Cosmological

1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason

1.5.1The Ontological Argument

1.5.2Criticisms of the Ontological Argument

1.6Religious Experience

1.6.1Introduction to Religious Experience

1.6.2Mystical Experience

1.6.3Conversion Experience

1.6.4Understanding Religious Experience

1.6.5Issues Relating to Religious Experience - Validity

1.6.6Issues Relating to Religious Experiences - People

1.7The Problem of Evil

1.7.1Presentations of the Problems of Evil

1.7.2Discussion Points -

1.8The Nature & Attributes of God

1.8.1Omnipotence

1.8.2Omniscience

1.8.3Boethius - Divine Knowledge, Free Will & Eternity

1.8.4(Omni)benevolence

1.8.5Eternity & Free Will

1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic

1.9.1Apophatic & Cataphatic Way

1.9.2Symbol

1.9.3Discussion Points: Religious Language

1.10Religious Language: 20th Century Perspective

1.10.1Logical Positivism & Verification Principle

1.10.2Wittgenstein

1.10.3Falsification Symposium: Flew & Hare

1.10.4Falsification Symposium: Mitchell

1.10.5Discussion Points: Verification & Falsification

1.10.6Discussion Points: Aquinas vs Wittgenstein

2Religion & Ethics

2.1Natural Law

2.1.1St Thomas Aquinas - Telos & Four Tiers of Law

2.1.2St Thomas Aquinas - Precepts

2.1.3St Thomas Aquinas - Real & Apparent Goods

2.1.4Discussion Points - Natural Law & Doing Good

2.1.5Discussion Points - Telos & Double Effect Doctrine

2.2Situation Ethics

2.2.1Fletcher's Situation Ethics

2.2.2Fletcher's Concept of Conscience

2.2.3Discussion Points: Moral Decision-Making

2.2.4Discussion Points - Agape

2.3Kantian Ethics

2.3.1Introduction to Kantian Ethics & Duty

2.3.2Hypothetical & Categorical Imperative

2.3.3Summum Bonum & Three Postulates

2.3.4Discussion Points: Kantian Ethics

2.4Utilitarianism

2.4.1The Utility Principle

2.4.2Act & Rule Utilitarianism

2.4.3Discussion Points: Utilitarianism

2.5Euthanasia

2.5.1Key Concepts for Euthanasia Debates

2.5.2Discussion Points: Natural Law & Situation Ethics

2.5.3Discussion Points: Sanctity of Life

2.5.4Discussion Points: Autonomy & Medical Intervention

2.6Business Ethics

2.6.1Corporate Social Responsibility & Whistle-Blowing

2.6.2Good Ethics & Globalisation

2.6.3Discussion Points: Utilitarianism & Kantian Ethics

2.6.4Discussion Points: CSR, Globalisation & Capitalism

3Developments in Christian Thought

3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings

3.1.1Human Nature

3.1.2Original Sin & God's Grace

3.2Death & the Afterlife

3.2.1Heaven, Hell, & Purgatory

3.2.2Different Interpretations of the Afterlife

3.2.3Election

3.2.4The Final Judgement

3.2.5Discussion Points: Heaven, Hell & Purgatory

3.3Knowledge of God's Existence

3.3.1Natural Knowledge

3.3.2Revealed Knowledge in Faith, Grace, & Jesus Christ

3.3.3Revealed Knowledge in the Bible & Church

3.3.4Discussion Points: Reason & Belief in God

3.3.5Discussion Points: The Fall & Trust in God

3.4The Person of Jesus Christ

3.4.1Jesus Christ’s Authority as the Son of God

3.4.2Jesus Christ’s Authority as a Teacher of Wisdom

3.4.3Jesus Christ’s Authority as a Liberator

3.5Christian Moral Principles

3.5.1The Bible & Love

3.5.2Bible, Church & Reason

3.5.3Discussion Points: Christian Ethics

3.5.4Discussion Points: Love & the Bible

3.6Christian Moral Action

3.6.1Dietrich Bonhoeffer & the Confessing Church

3.6.2Bonhoeffer & Civil Disobedience

3.6.3Bonhoeffer's Teaching on Ethics as Action

3.6.4Discussion Points: Civil Disobedience & Bonhoeffer

3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology

3.7.1Pluralism & Theology: Exclusivism & Inclusivism

3.7.2Pluralism & Theology: Pluralism

3.7.3Discussion Points: Salvation

3.7.4Discussion Points: Pluralism Undermining Beliefs

3.8Development - Pluralism & Society

3.8.1Development of Multi-Faith Societies

3.8.2Responses to Inter-Faith Dialogue

3.8.3The Scriptural Reasoning Movement

3.8.4Discussion Points: Social Cohesion & Scripture

3.8.5Discussion Points: Conversion

3.9Gender & Society

3.9.1Waves of Feminism

3.9.2Traditional Christian Views on Gender Roles

3.9.3Christian Views on Gender Roles & Family

3.9.4Discussion Points: Secular Views of Gender

3.9.5Discussion Points: Motherhood & Family

3.10Gender & Theology

3.10.1Rosemary Radford Ruether

3.10.2Mary Daly

3.10.3Discussion Points: Ruether & Daly

3.10.4Discussion Points: Male Saviour & Female God

3.11Challenges

3.11.1Secularism - Sigmund Freud

3.11.2Secularism - Richard Dawkins

3.11.3Christianity & Public Life

3.11.4Discussion Points: Spiritual Values

3.11.5Discussion Points: Social Values & Opportunities

3.11.6Karl Marx

3.11.7Liberation Theology

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