Salvation in Christian tradition is communal, not merely personal
Evidence
Indeed, much of the Christian tradition, from the time of the early church forward, has stressed that salvation itself is a communal reality that encompasses all of creation. Thus, if salvation is understood as a personal possession with no implications for how I fight the evil that hurts my neighbor, then not only is that a misunderstanding of the teaching of Jesus but it is also a misunderstanding of the nature and scope of salvation itself. — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 88
Categorization
- DEFINE: Defines a broadened conception of salvation as communal and creation-wide, a key analytic move in the chapter.
- XREF: connects to: Biblical liberation addresses structural sin, not only individual sins. — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 84; African religiousness centers on communal dialogue with God rather than individual theology — Frans Dokman, Beyond Bantu Philosophy_…, 314; Evangelicals traded collective social redemption for individual salvation as liberalism embraced the Social Gospel — Randall Balmer, Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the…, 55 (+2 more)
Broader Connections
- Evangelicals traded collective social redemption for individual salvation as liberalism embraced the Social Gospel
#qualifies(0.85) — Randall Balmer, Bad Faith, 55 - Religious solidarity mechanisms extend moral concern to complete strangers
#expands(0.80) - African religiousness centers on communal dialogue with God rather than individual theology
#corroborates(0.78) — Frans Dokman, Beyond Bantu Philosophy_…, 314 - Individual salvation attempts mystify freedom while only social action authenticates it
#complicates(0.76) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1916