Catholic Christian Soteriology

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that there are four theories of soteriology or models of understanding the nature of an individual's salvation in Jesus Christ. The paper further explains that the understanding of Salvation over the history of the church has gradually evolved as the bible and biblical texts are further interpreted in different forms to explain the nature of salvation. Moreover, the many theories and approaches to understanding the nature of Salvation in Christ have developed from a juridical view to that of a more participatory and sacramental understanding.

From the Paper:

"Ransom is a model of Salvation which describes the human race being held captive by sin and it is through the resurrection of Christ that Jesus overcomes the powers of the devil and divinity prevails. This was a popular theory up until the middle ages and was taken on board by the Greek Christianity. This theory was replaced by the third theory of 'Satisfaction' by Anselm of Canterbury in the 11th Century which documents the form of Christ as both divine with the Father and human with humanity. In these two forms Jesus Christ is identical in all aspects i.e. both fully divine and fully human."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Barrett C. K. Church, Ministry, and Sacraments in the New Testament, Great Britain: The Paternoster Press, 1985.
• Casey D. The Nature of our Salvation in Christ: Salvation as Participation and Divinization in Theology @ McAuley. Issue 3 (Feb, 2003)
• Coloe, Mary, Salvation-From What Does Jesus Save Us? Compass 27 (Autumn 1993) 20-24.
• Doyle S. O.F.M. Jesus Christ: Why the Word became Flesh, available from: http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0101.asp; Internet: accessed on 5th September 2008.
• Durken D. (ed.), Sin, Salvation and the Spirit, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1979.

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