Salvation: A Guide for the Perplexed

The theology of salvation is central to Christian faith. At one level a matter of personal trust, confession, experience and hope, it is also a set of convictions about corporate and social transformation, physical and structural redemption, and the final fulfilment of all things. With such vast scope and profound significance, it is no surprise that the doctrine has evoked immense discussion and a very wide range of perspectives, both historically and in contemporary theology.

Davidson offers an informed and accessible guide to a number of the vital themes, and an exposition of the compelling issues they present for Christian thought and practice. Topics include: who is the God who saves, and what does it mean to be saved? How is salvation effected, and what does that process reveal about the character of God and the natures and ends of creatures? What is the relationship between the historical person and work of Jesus Christ and redemption in the present and the future? What is the role of the Holy Spirit, and how does the Spirit bring about God's saving purposes? And what, in the end, is salvation for?

Ivor J. Davidson is Professor of Systematic & Historical Theology at the University of St Andrews, UK, where he has also served as Head of School and Dean of Divinity and Principal of St Mary's College. He was previously Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Otago, New Zealand.

Introduction: Talking of Salvation
Chapter 1: Salvation and God
Chapter 2: Salvation, History and Jesus
Chapter 3: Salvation as Divine-Human Atonement
Chapter 4: Salvation as Personal
Chapter 5: Salvation as Social
Chapter 6: Salvation as the Reconciliation of All Things
Chapter 7: Salvation and Other Faiths
Conclusion: The Contours of a Christian Soteriology
Further Reading
Index