Salvation and Redemption

How Near is the End?

Terms for Ultimate Destiny

• Heaven

• reconciliation between humans and God

• enlightenment

• wholeness

• self-actualization

• absorption into the ultimate

• Nirvana

• concord

What is Salvation

• It is a move from one state or being to another.

• It is a move from a bad, deficient, imperfect state to a good, perfect state.

Religious Salvation

• For Christians salvation means “being saved form a destructive self-centeredness through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.”

• A person is made whole.• It is noted by the fact that God acts on behalf

of the individual.• In the Christian tradition this is known as grace (God’s unmerited favor).

The Two Parts of Grace

• Objective– God’s goodwill toward

God’s creation.

• Subjective– acceptance of the fact

that God accepts a person.

– Grace has been internalized.

More Grace

• Even in polytheistic religions, there is frequently a concept of grace as the special unbidden, unmerited state bestowed on some individual or group by a god or goddess.

Salvation in non-Christian Faiths

• e.g. Hinduism– For Hindus salvation is release from the cycle

of birth and death.• Individuals have Krishna consciousness

• This consciousness has been adulterated by material atmosphere.

• This atmosphere is called maya or illusion.

Goal of Hinduism

• The goal is be released from this maya.

• By chanting Hare Krishna . . . , a transcendental vibration, one can cleanse away all misgivings within one’s heart.

• The basic principle of all such misgivings is the false consciousness that I am the lord of all I survey.

Eschatology

When is it over?

Eschatology

• Eschatology means the “study of last things.”

• This includes the individual and, in many cases, all of humanity as well.

New Societies

• Communitarians

• Communists

• Protests

• Transformation of Consciousness

• Jewish Prophecy

• Islamic Vision

• Early Christian Eschatology

Visions of a New Society

Communitarians• These are individuals who

live in groups and who believe that Jesus will return to rule the earth.

• They share belongings, responsibilities, property and other material items.

• Decisions are made on the basis of the best interest of the group consistent with their religious belief.

Communists

• Communists have the idea that the “workers” of the world will rise up and overthrow the capitalists and a society will be established.

Protest

• People who protest the present circumstances of society and desire to see a change make their wishes known.

• The Civil Rights movement is a great example.• The idea is that a new, better day is approaching.

It’s coming is immanent. This is captured well by MLK’s “I Have A Dream Speech.”

Transformation of Consciousness

• In the 60’s in the United States and other parts of the world people believed that society was dominated by oppressive political forces and economic power.

• The Vietnam war was raging, poverty was evident, women rights were denied, pollution was rampant, racial discrimination was confronted nationally, etc.

A Change

• There came those who preached love, justice, peace, etc.

• They wanted to break out of the establishment.

• The song “Aquarius” captured this mood.

• “We’re in for a change of consciousness--where dreams are realized and everyone is living together in harmony which each other and nature. It is the natural order of things. It is in the ‘stars.’”

Jewish Prophecy• God will separate the

unfaithful from the faithful.• God will establish God’s

righteousness and the enemies of God’s people will be judged.

• The Jewish people will become want God hand intended for them all along.

• God will resolve all of the problems that have infected humanity and nature.

Islamic Vision• Allah will come and judge

everyone and all of creation will know it.

• Allah will judge the deeds of everyone; rewards and punishments will follow.

• This life is a test and people must choose to submit to Allah or to follow Satan.

• The struggle between good and bad will end “with the assertion of Allah’s sovereignty and power.”

Christians• It talks about such concepts as

second coming of Christ, resurrection of the dead, immortality of the soul, final judgment, and Heaven and Hell.

• Christians believe that there will be a struggle between good and evil. This will culminate in a final battle called “Armageddon” in which good will finally triumph over evil.

• God’s people will be vindicated and the adversaries will be punished.

• There will be a transition from old to new.