Explains the terms Soteriology and Christology and their significance to the Christian religion.
This paper explains that Soteriology is the single most important aspect of Christology and then goes on to explain the subjective and objective view of Soteriology. The paper then looks at the question of universal salvation and whether Christianity should view Christ as God or human.
“Soteriology is the study of salvation and Christology is the study of the person and work of Jesus. It is through Jesus Christ that humankind receives salvation; therefore, it is through Jesus Christ that the understanding of salvation must come. Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Anointed One, or a dozen other titles he claims or has been given; what can we know of him? Has there ever been a life more closely studied than the life of Jesus of Nazareth? Brilliant scholars and simple men have spent lifetimes in the quest. Yet, they have not had different material than the authors of the New Testament from which to glean deeper knowledge. Further, they have not agreed upon the interpretation of the words they do have. “There is, thus, a difference between the way in which the first Christians and the later Church understood the Christological problem” (Cullman pg. 4) The modern church is spending an increasing amount of time debating the “problem of language” as it pertains to the divinity of Jesus (Aldwinckle pg 45). ”