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Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Beliefs and Doctrine

Salvation

Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples

/sælˈveɪʃən/nounCore term

In religious studies & theology, salvation means: Being saved or set free from sin, suffering or their consequences, and reaching a final state of well-being with God or ultimate reality.

In Turkish: kurtuluş, necat

How it is used

A central idea in Christian theology; the study of salvation is called soteriology. Phrases include salvation by grace, the path to salvation and salvation history. For Hindu and Buddhist goals, scholars often prefer liberation (moksha) or awakening.

Example sentences

  1. Debates about faith, works and salvation were central to the Reformation.

  2. In comparative work, 'liberation' often fits Hindu traditions better than 'salvation'.

Common collocations

  • path to salvation
  • salvation by grace
  • hope of salvation
  • salvation history
  • sinAn act, thought or failure to act that a religious tradition regards as breaking God's law or going against God's will.
  • afterlifeExistence after death as a religious tradition describes it, for example resurrection and judgement, paradise and hell, or rebirth in a new life.
  • nirvanaIn Buddhism, the final goal of the spiritual path: the ending of craving, suffering and the cycle of rebirth.
  • doctrineA belief or set of beliefs that a religious community officially teaches and expects its members to accept.

More terms: Beliefs and Doctrine

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