Important Western Soteriological Works

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When I took Soteriology, we read alot of primary sources. I asked my old professor, Tarmo Toom, an expert in patristic soteriology, for that list. I've added links to the two documents you will be most interested in reading.

  • Athanasius, On Incarnation, 25-64;
  • Augustine, On Nature and Grace, 22-51, 58-67.
  • Anselm, Why God Became Man? (Book Two);
  • Aquinas, Summa Theologica 12ae, Q 109, Art. 1-10.

I remember Athanasius' On Incarnation to be particularly interesting - the idea was that salvation was God's way of telling Jesus how much he loved him, by giving him us and eternal life in us as a love offering...

Specifically, for Luther and Calvin:

Finally, for more modern perspectives, he selected:

  • Soteriology: A Contemporary Protestant/Evangelical Perspective W. G. Rusch, Justification and the Future of the Ecumenical Movement, 23-34, 35-46, 133-149; (in class, The Gift of Salvation).

  • Soteriology: A Contemporary Roman Catholic Perspective Rahner, Foundations of Christian Faith, 24-43; The Content of Faith, 199-202, 344-349; The Hope of Salvation; (in class, Catechism of the Catholic Church).

Soteriology: A Liberation Perspective - Boff, Salvation and Liberation, 1-66.

Soteriology: An African-American Perspective - Cone, God of the Oppressed, 138-162, 195-246.

Soteriology: A Non-Violent Perspective - Weaver, Nonviolent Atonement, 12-19, 70-98, 210-224.

Soteriology: A Feminist Perspective - Japinga, Feminism and Christianity, 107-126.


Full bibliography here:

  • Anselm, Why God Became Man? in St. Anselm: Basic Writings. Chicago: Open Court, 1996, 253-302.

  • Aquinas, Summa theologica 12ae Q 109, Art. 1-10 in Aquinas on Nature and Grace, ed. A. M. Fairweather. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1954, 137-156.

  • Augustine, On Nature and Grace, in FC 86, trans. John A. Mourant and William J. Collinge, 1992, 22-90.

  • Boff, L. and C. Salvation and Liberation: In Search of a Balance between Faith and Politics. Translated by R. R. Barr. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1984, 1-66.

  • Canons of the Synod of Dort, in Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition, ed. J. Pelikan and V. Hotchkiss. New Heaven: Yale University Press, 2003, 571-600.

  • Calvin, J. Institutes, Ch. XI, in Library of Christian Classics. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1961, 89-107.

  • Cone, J. H. God of the Oppressed. New York: Seabury, 1975, 138-162, 195-246.

  • Fiddes, P. S. “The Understanding of Salvation in the Baptist Tradition,” in For Us and For Our Salvation, ed. W. J. Hollenweger. Utrecht: Instituut voor Missiologie, 1994, 15-37. The Hope of Salvation, International Theological Commission. Origins (April 26, 2007): 726-748.

  • Japinga, L. Feminism and Christianity: An Essential Guide. Nashville: Abingdon, 1999, 107-126.

  • Justification and the Future of the Ecumenical Movement: The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, ed. W. G. Rusch. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2003 (Chadwick, H. “An Anglican Reaction: Across the reformation Divide,” 23-34;

  • Franklin, R. W. “A Model fro New Joint Declaration: An Episcopalian Reaction to the Joint Declaration on Justification,” 35-46; Macchia, F. D. “Justification and the Spirit of Life: A Pentecostal Response to the Joint Declaration,” 133-149).

  • Luther, M. Two Kinds of Righteousness in Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Works, ed. T. F. Lull. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1989, 155-164.

  • Rahner, K. Foundations of Christian Faith: An Introduction to the Idea of Christianity. Trans. W. V. Dych. New York: Crossroad, 1978, 24-43.

  • __. The Content of Faith. Ed. K. Lehmann and A. Raffelt, trans. ed. H. D. Egan. New York: Crossroads, 1993, 199-202, 344-349.

  • The Remonstrance (The Ariminian Articles), in Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition, ed. J. Pelikan and V. Hotchkiss. New Heaven: Yale University Press, 2003, 549-550.

  • Tanner, N. P. (ed.), Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, vol. II. Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 1990, 671-681.

  • Weaver, J. D. The Nonviolent Atonement. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001, 12-19, 70-98, 210-224.

  • Anselm, Why God Became Man? in St. Anselm: Basic Writings. Chicago: Open Court, 1974.

  • Boff, L. and C. Salvation and Liberation: In Search of a Balance between Faith and Politics. Translated by R. R. Barr. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1984.

  • Cone, J. H. God of the Oppressed. New York: Seabury, 1975.

  • Dunn, J. D. G. The Theology of Paul the Apostle. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.

  • Green, J. B. and Baker, M. D. Recovering the Scandal of Cross: Atonement in New Testament & Contemporary Contexts. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2000.

  • Weaver, J. D. The Nonviolent Atonement. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.

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