DIV0024 - Theologies of Salvation: Biblical, Traditional, Contemporary
Course Description
Instructor: Dr. Bruce Morrill, S.J.
Delivery: Online, Asynchronous
Salvation figures among the most distinctive, defining characteristics of Christianity as a religion. Closely identified with the mission of Christ Jesus, this word rolls off the tongues of believers, telegraphs the gospel message on bumper stickers and the like (“Jesus Saves”), and sparks meditation, devotions, and sermons to inspire the faithful. And yet, this “given” about Christian faith is anything but simple in its biblical content, its development in church teaching and history, or its significance for Christianity in our time. Scratch the surface of “salvation,” and you discover a symbolically loaded notion that has not only united but also divided Christians, has proven not only consoling but also condemning, has both drawn from wider culture and challenged it.
After surveying the wealth of symbols and images the New Testament offers to convey what God has done for humanity (and all creation) in Christ through the Spirit, the course will review a few key turning points in how Christians came to proclaim and practice salvation in history. The second half of the course will explore contemporary approaches to salvation from multiple angles and contexts: What are we saved from, and what are we saved for? Who make up the “we” of salvation? Is it a matter of individuals or necessarily communal? How are we to understand the message of salvation as good news amidst a pluralistic society and global religious diversity? What has and does it mean to declare, “No salvation outside the church”? How is the Spirit of Christ saving a world wounded ecologically, wounded in the lives of people suffering political oppression, systemic poverty, and more? What is the relationship between salvation and social justice, divine redemption and human liberation, grace and judgment? Throughout, we will attend to what is common and distinctive among Christian traditions and churches, past and present.
Interested in taking this course as a group or bringing this course to your institution? Email Nathan Cost for group rates and options: nathan.a.cost@vanderbilt.edu
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