Salvation is one of the central concepts in the Christian faith. An immensely complex matter that I cannot even start to unpack in a 30-minute episode. So what I will proceed to do here is to outline the general understanding of the subject of salvation, and engage certain problems that arise in our approach towards it. So the problem with Salvation that I am seeking to deconstruct is primarily one of understanding.
When it comes to better understanding the idea of Salvation let's start with the obvious: Salvation refers to the saving of mankind (or humanity) from the power of Evil, which is a result of Sin. In other words, we are getting into the realm of Christian metaphysics. In Christianity Evil as a reality predates the entry of Sin into this world through the Fall, which points back to Satan. The problem with Sin (a human problem) comes to life either through act(s) of disobedience to God or in thought: through man's subconscious defiance to God's will. Through which we bring about the consequence of Sin, which is death. Death, in its fuller metaphysical understanding, does not only correspond to 'death' in a physical sense but also the 'wages of Sin': where death as a living (or dying) force manifests itself as an insidious, metastasizing power whose effects carry over into the spiritual realm. The power of Evil, powered by Sin, giving rise to 'death' manifests in the world spirit and the flesh.
Serious stuff! But this is not even the start. Since Christian understanding of Salvation revolves around the deliverance of man from the power of Evil, and its primary operative force: Sin, the question is what does this mean for you and me today? The common understanding of the doctrine of Salvation centers on the Redemptive mission of Christ. God in order to save a Fallen humanity sends His Son on a rescue mission, which involved Him ultimately dying as a sacrifice for our sins, so that God (i.e. His Father or in other words Himself) could forgive us! Clearly, there is much to the idea of Salvation. As the reader (and listener) will know, and much of the present disillusionment towards Christianity in the West, felt particularly by the NONEs, stems (rightly) from our view towards this central dogma of Christianity. In this episode I will engage the problem with Salvation by looking at three points: