What does Salvation in Christianity mean today?
- John Scoble
- Dec 5
- 10 min read
Updated: Dec 6
Introduction
For many the common perception of salvation is being saved from damnation at the end of our lives. We frequently hear “Jesus died for our sins” to save us, known as atonement theory. But there is another view that Jesus was killed because of a conspiracy between the state and religious establishments for his rebellious views. He was a troublemaker who had to be removed.
What does it mean to be saved? What are people saved from? Is salvation mainly about going to heaven, or does it begin here and now? Is it something that happens once through Jesus’ death on the cross, or is it a lifelong process of growth and renewal? Is salvation just personal, or does it also have a social and even cosmic dimension?
Reflection: before proceeding further, I would suggest that you pause, close your eyes and think about what salvation means to you now.
In this paper, my aim is to provide some insights into the meaning of salvation while demonstrating the dynamic nature of theology to illustrate how views of salvation have changed over time. I will start with the understanding of salvation in the early centuries of Christianity, continue with the writings of St Thomas Aquinas, and focus mainly on the views expressed by modern theologians.
Salvation in the Early Christian Church
In the early centuries of Christianity, salvation was thought of as a process of healing, renewal, and transformation. The New Testament word often translated as “salvation” (sōtēria) also means “wholeness” or “healing.” Early Christians believed that in Jesus, God entered human life to restore what had been broken by sin.
Church Fathers such as Athanasius of Alexandria described salvation as theosis—becoming one with God. His famous line, “God became human so that humans might become divine” [1] summed up this belief. The goal of salvation was not to escape from punishment, but to grow into full communion with God, who is love.
For the early Church, salvation was both personal and communal. Through baptism and participation in the Eucharist, believers became part of the Body of Christ—the Church—and shared in God’s life. The cross and resurrection were seen as the great signs of God’s love: through them, love conquered death and hope triumphed over despair. Salvation was therefore not just about individuals but about the renewal of all creation [2].
The Theology of Thomas Aquinas
In the thirteenth century, Thomas Aquinas brought together the wisdom of scripture, philosophy, and tradition in a systematic way. He saw salvation as a relationship of love between God and humanity. For Aquinas, everything begins with grace, the free and generous gift of God’s love. Humans are naturally drawn to goodness and truth, but sin clouds our vision and weakens our will. Grace restores that relationship and enables us to live as God intended.
Faith, said Aquinas, is not something we produce by ourselves; it is a gift given by God’s Spirit that allows us to trust and respond [3]. Salvation, then, consists of both God’s initiative and our cooperation. God offers the gift; we must choose to open our hearts.
Aquinas also taught that the Church is the “sacrament of salvation”—the visible community through which God’s grace reaches people in the world. The sacraments, especially baptism and the Eucharist, nourish believers on their journey toward final union with God, known as the beatific vision. Salvation, in his view, is not only forgiveness of sins but participation in God’s own life of love.
Aquinas is important for this reason: In the late nineteenth century, Pope Leo XIII declared Thomas Aquinas to be the official theologian of the Catholic Church. Thomism continues to underpin the doctrine of the church today. The Church is stuck in thirteenth century theology, seemingly ignoring significant advances in human knowledge over the past 800 years!
Contemporary Perspectives on Salvation
In modern times, theologians have reinterpreted salvation considering new insights from science, psychology, and social justice movements. While the heart of the message remains the same—God’s desire to bring life and love to the world—its meaning has broadened to include personal, communal, and universal/ecological dimensions.
Demonstrating that theology is both dynamic and enculturated, Elizabeth Johnson outlines many theological trends (such as liberation theology, feminist theology and creation theology), the majority of which have developed in the past 100 years [4]. Her exposition is informative and demonstrates that while the core elements of faith in Jesus the Christ remain the same, there are subtle differences in beliefs and significant differences in rituals.
Modern theologian Roger Haight [5] emphasises that God’s love is unconditional and constant. God always reaches out; the real question is whether we respond. Salvation, he says, is not about satisfying a distant God but awakening to a love that has always been there.
Anthony de Mello [6] and Richard Rohr [7] describe salvation as waking up to that divine presence already within us and all around us. God’s love is like a mighty waterfall, endlessly flowing. Salvation happens when we stop clinging to the rocks and allow ourselves to be carried by the current of divine grace.
Jesus the Christ as Teacher, Role Model, Companion on the Journey
For many contemporary thinkers, Jesus’ life and teachings are themselves the clearest expression of salvation. He revealed what a fully human and fully divine life looks like—one lived in total love and trust in God. Through his parables, Jesus the Rabbi taught. As a physician, he healed. Through table fellowship, he modelled inclusiveness and care for neighbour, especially those marginalised by society. In his wanderings around Galilee and to Jerusalem, he was a companion for his disciples on their journey of discovery.
Salvation, in this sense, is not just about Jesus’ death but about his life and example. As theologian Marcus Borg wrote, Jesus shows the path of transformation: “The Christian life is about participating in Jesus’ passion for the kingdom of God” [8]. To be saved is to follow his way of compassion, forgiveness, and justice. Indeed, Christianity in its early years was called “the Way”.
The Divine–Human Relationship
Returning to the insight of the early Church—“God became human so that humans might become divine”—modern theologians see this as an invitation to live in deep communion with God. Karl Rahner and others describe every person as possessing a “supernatural horizon,” a built-in capacity for God. Salvation is discovering and embracing that divine life within us and one another.
This also means being freed from both personal and social sin. Personal sin involves the choices that cut us off from love; social sin includes the systems and structures—poverty, racism, environmental destruction—that wound God’s creation. Liberation theologians such as Gustavo Gutiérrez [9] remind us that salvation must include liberation from injustice and active solidarity with the poor.
Salvation as Right Action—Orthopraxy
Salvation is not only about believing correctly (orthodoxy) but also about living rightly (orthopraxy). It calls for concrete action: feeding the hungry, healing the broken-hearted, caring for the earth. In October 2025, Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te, was about love for the poor. To work for justice, he says, is to cooperate in God’s saving action in history.
From this viewpoint, salvation is not a one-time event accomplished on the Cross of Calvary, as atonement theory postulates, but a continuing process. Each day invites new conversion and renewal. The cross reveals the depth of God’s love; the resurrection shows that this love is stronger than any power of death.
Personal, Communal, and Universal Salvation
In recent decades, ecological theologians have deepened the understanding of salvation even further. Sallie McFague and Elizabeth Johnson remind us that the earth itself is part of God’s body. To destroy the environment is to wound the very fabric of God’s creation. Humanity is not the centre of the universe but part of an interconnected web of life.
Johnson extends salvation beyond individual souls to include the whole community of life. Even animals are saved! She is convinced that salvation must be personal, communal, and universal. It involves the healing of the human heart, the renewal of human society, and the redemption of the earth itself.
Therefore, salvation must include the healing of the planet—restoring right relationship with all living things. Salvation means the birth of a renewed world, where humans live in harmony with nature and with one another. Wherever compassion, justice, and peace take root, God’s saving presence is at work.
Salvation Now and in the Future
Salvation is both a present and a future reality. Jesus’ message that “the Kingdom of God is among you” [10] shows that it begins here and now. Every act of kindness, forgiveness, and justice is a glimpse of that kingdom, a society that offers mercy, compassion and justice, now and not in the hereafter. Yet salvation also points toward a future completion—a time when God’s love will be all in all [11].
Jesuit priest and scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin [12] saw salvation as the universe moving toward what he called the “Omega Point”—the final unity of all things in Christ. Creation itself is on a journey toward divine completion. God’s work of salvation is therefore not static or limited to the past but an unfolding process in which humanity and the cosmos evolve toward love and consciousness in God.
Process theologians Alfred North Whitehead and Ilia Delio describe God as deeply involved in this ongoing creation. Salvation happens whenever creation becomes more aligned with love, justice, and wholeness. It’s less about escape from the world and more about participating in God’s creative movement within it. In this broader view, salvation isn’t only about the next life but about how we live today.
Conclusion
Theology is dynamic, not static. From the early Church’s vision of divinisation, through Aquinas’s theology of grace, to modern understandings that include justice, ecology, and cosmic unity, the Christian meaning of salvation has steadily widened and deepened. Yet its heart remains the same: God’s freely given love drawing all things into life and communion. Salvation is not something we await after death but something we live into every day. It is personal, communal, and universal.
Roger Haight provides a useful insight for spiritual seekers. He writes: “Beliefs are expressions of faith and as such are distinct from faith. Beliefs may change while faith at its deepest level remains constant, even as it is modified. [13]
After much thought and prayerful reflection over many years, while I am resolute in my faith, my beliefs have changed substantially. I know Jesus the Christ is my teacher, role model and companion on the journey. I believe that, made in the image of God and just like Jesus, I have a temporary human nature and forever divine nature.
The lessons I learn from Jesus’ teachings (more than his death of the cross) save me from myself—from rejecting the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32), from the arrogance and pride of the righteous Pharisee (Luke 18:9–14), from following rules that would cause me to ignore the stranger lying bleeding on the side of the road (Luke10: 29–37) and so on.
Advancing our understanding of Jesus’ kingdom of God has the potential to save the world from suffering by eliminating hunger and famine through international aid, by rejecting all forms of war for peaceful co-existence, and by reversing the damage to the planet through meaningful ecological programs.
But we must wake up and respond!
FAQs Salvation in Christianity
What is “salvation” in Christianity?
Although there are subtle differences within denominations, Salvation is generally understood as God rescuing people from the guilt, power, and final consequences of sin. This brings them into a restored relationship with God through the example and mediation of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.
Why do I need to be saved?
Christians believe that all people sin through their actions or omissions. Sin separates people from God, and the natural result is spiritual death and judgment. Salvation is needed to restore people to God and give eternal life.
What must I do to be saved?
Christianity teaches that a person is saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Turning to Jesus in repentance is essential. One needs hope and trust that his death and resurrection offers the pathway to eternal life. Jesus taught that we must love God and love our neighbour as ourselves. If we base our lives on love, we will be saved.
Is salvation an event or a process?
It is sometimes believed that salvation occurred when Jesus died and rose from the dead. This is a narrow interpretation of salvation. This ignores the three years of his ministry, whereby he revealed knowledge of his Father and explained his radical reinterpretation of Judaism. Many Christians speak of a decisive moment of trusting in Christ, but fundamentally, salvation is a continuing process of understanding and following Jesus’ teaching, being transformed and growing in faith, hope and love.
Is salvation just personal, or does it also have a social and even cosmic dimension?
Christians increasingly answer that salvation is not only personal but also has social and cosmic dimensions.
A strong strand in Christian thought holds that “we are not saved alone,” seeing salvation as also about God forming a people and healing social relationships, including issues like injustice, poverty, and exclusion. Following Jesus thus includes participating in social transformation.
Many theologians and biblical interpreters also speak of a cosmic dimension, where God’s saving work in Christ ultimately includes the renewal of the entire created order. Here salvation is understood as God’s comprehensive healing of creation—spiritual, moral, and material—so that individuals, human society, and the cosmos are finally brought into right relationship with God.
At St Lucia Spirituality we believe the journey is richer when it’s shared. If you’re seeking a place to explore questions, practice mindfulness, or simply belong to an inclusive spiritual community, we invite you to join us. From online discussion groups and meditation gatherings to our growing library of resources, there’s space here for every seeker. Step into the conversation, connect with others, and discover how community can nurture your spiritual growth.
Upcoming Spiritual Events & Online Gatherings
BUTTERFLY SERIES:
What does Salvation in Christianity mean today?
3 February 2026, 4:45 pm – 6:15 pm AEST
Note: AEST not AEDT
Virtual event on Zoom
EGISTER FOR OUR VIRTUAL EVENT
About the Author - John Scoble
John's journey began in the heart of a traditional Roman Catholic family in Sydney, where he was raised with steadfast faith and reverence. Now residing in the serene surroundings of St Lucia, Brisbane, alongside his beloved wife, John finds solace and inspiration in the tranquil rhythms of life. With four adult children and a cherished grandchild also calling Brisbane home, John's family is his anchor, providing love, support, and a sense of belonging.
While spirituality has always been a cornerstone of his life, it was three transformative events in 2012, including a sacred pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, that ignited a profound shift in John's spiritual trajectory. Embracing retirement as an opportunity for deeper exploration, John immersed himself in extensive reading and soulful reflection.
Over the course of a decade, this journey of self-discovery has led John to reevaluate and transcend many of his traditional beliefs, embracing instead the timeless wisdom and cosmic perspective inherent in Christianity. Influenced by luminaries such as St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Avila, and Richard Rohr, John's spiritual evolution has been marked by a deepening resonance with the essential truths of his faith and a profound connection to the divine unfolding within and around him.
Footnotes
1. On the Incarnation: 54.
2. Romans 8:19–21.
3. Summa Theologiae II-II, Q.2.
4. Elizabeth Johnson, Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God, pp. 7–24.
5. Roger Haight, Jesus Symbol of God, 1999.
6. Anthony de Mello, Awareness, 1990.
7. Richard Rohr, The Universal Christ, 2019.
8. Marcus Borg, The Heart of Christianity; Rediscovering a Life of Faith, p. 191.
9. Gustavo Gutiérrez, A Theology of Liberation, 1971.
10. Luke 17:21.
11. 1 Corinthians 15:28.
12. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Phenomenon of Man, 1955.
13. Roger Haight, Jesus Symbol of God, p.5.
Comments