Christian Theologies of Salvation

A Comparative Introduction

The ways in which pivotal spiritual figures have attempted to address the complex and various theories of salvation

Salvation – redemption or deliverance from sin – has been a key focus of Christian theology since the first days of the church. Theologians from St. Augustine to Karl Barth have debated the finer points of salvation for nearly as long, offering a bewildering array of competing and often contradictory theories.

Christian Theologies of Salvation explores the ways in which pivotal theological figures have attempted to answer these questions, tracing doctrines of salvation from the first century into the twenty-first century. Each chapter focuses on a different major theologian, first presenting the theologian’s doctrine of salvation, then highlighting how the doctrine makes a distinct contribution to the church’s overall dogma. The volume offers a comparative focus, including doctrines of salvation that reflect the historical development of Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant views.

By illuminating the ways in which doctrines of salvation have evolved over the church’s history, Justin Holcomb takes us across the teachings of Origin and Augustine, John Calvin and Martin Luther, and eventually to the more modern theologies of Karl Barth and Gustavo Gutiérrez. A much-needed map to the options and implications of different theologies of salvation, this book is essential reading for students and scholars of Christian thought.