Soteriology, Justification, Liberation, and Pneumatology – Exam Prep Vocabulary

These vocabulary flashcards cover key theories of salvation, contrasting views on grace and justification, liberation approaches, and foundational pneumatology concepts drawn from the lecture notes.

Anselm – Satisfaction Theory

Theologian: Anselm of Canterbury

Key Idea: Humanity’s sin dishonors God, creating an infinite debt only a God-man (Jesus) can repay.

Transcript Reference: “Anselm’s theory… provides so much of the foundation for Western Christology, whether Protestant or Catholic… his theory is transactional: Christ’s death is a payment to God, not to the devil. It emphasizes justice and the necessity of Christ’s divinity and humanity” .

Critique: Makes God seem overly juridical and lacking mercy.

Abelard – Moral Exemplar Model

Theologian: Peter Abelard

Key Idea: Christ’s life and death reveal God’s love and provide a moral example for humanity.

Transcript Reference: “Abelard… what they really think about when they think of the Paschal mystery is that what Jesus gives is an example for us to follow… salvation is the transformation that happens in the person and in the world by following the way of Christ” .

Critique: Not transactional; salvation comes through transformation by Christ’s example. Criticized as being too didactic.

Julian of Norwich – Contemplative/Imitative Model

Theologian: Julian of Norwich

Key Idea: Salvation is about interior transformation through contemplation and imitation of Christ.

Transcript Reference: “Julian and Norwich… proposes… the deepest desire of every human being… is to love God, to encounter the love of God and to do God’s will… salvation happens by contemplating the life, death and resurrection of Jesus” .

Deepest human desire is to love and do God’s will.

Salvation happens as we grow in desire and ability to imitate Christ’s humility and love.

Emphasizes contemplative experience and personal relationship with God

Critique: Emphasizes contemplative experience and personal relationship with God.

Paschal Mystery

The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus regarded as the central saving event in Christianity.
If something happened in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus… what is the good thing that comes? How does it forgive us of sin, how does baptism work?”

Original Sin

Inherited human tendency toward sin, rooted in Adam and Eve’s attempt to become like God.

“Original Sin is kind of this idea… everyone is born, every human being, is born with some degree of guilt for sinfulness… shaped by a world where a lot of evil exists”

Grace

God’s unearned, transforming love and presence that enables salvation.

“Augustine’s idea was… human beings are born from our very entry into this world… already enemies of God… God’s grace transforms human beings from within” .

Pelagius: Grace is external—God’s law/teachings; humans have full free will.

“Pelagius… God’s grace does not work internally within me. God’s grace is external… comes to me in the form of God’s law… It’s my responsibility to live according to God’s law” .

Baptism

Sacrament cleansing original sin and imparting grace; viewed as necessary for salvation. Necessary for salvation; cleanses original sin and imparts grace.

“How do I really take part in this grace? Augustine would say baptism… you receive all the merits, all the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection” .

Justification

Being made right with God, involving forgiveness of sins and acceptance as righteous.

Augustine on Justification

Achieved by grace through faith and baptism, transforming the believer within.

Luther on Justification

By faith alone; Christ’s righteousness is imputed (credited) to the believer. Justification by faith alone, Christ’s righteousness is imputed (credited) to believers.Human will is bound to sin; only faith justifies. Christ’s righteousness covers (imputes) the believer’s sin. Good works are a result, not a cause, of justification

“Luther… human will can work only for evil… we are justified by God’s grace through faith, not by good works”

Imputed Righteousness

Doctrine that Christ’s righteousness is credited to sinners rather than infused within them.

Council of Trent on Justification

Faith and works cooperate; grace is imparted, transforming believers who can lose it through mortal sin.Grace is imparted (transforms from within). Faith and works both matter. Justification can be lost by mortal sin, regained by confession

Total Depravity (Calvin)

View that every aspect of human nature is corrupted by sin and incapable of choosing God without grace.Total depravity; humans are utterly sinful. Double predestination: God predestines some to salvation, others to damnation. Baptism gives just enough grace for salvation—if predestined

Double Predestination

Calvinist belief that God predestines some people to salvation and others to damnation.

Semi-Pelagianism

Middle position asserting both divine grace and human initiative cooperate in salvation.Middle ground—grace and human openness both necessary

Transactional Atonement

Any theory (e.g., Anselm’s) describing Christ’s death as a legal or financial payment to satisfy divine justice.

Critical Theory

Analytical approach critiquing social structures from the perspective of the marginalized. Analyzes traditions from the perspective of the marginalized. Liberation, feminist, and Black theologies use critical theory to critique and reinterpret Christian tradition

emerged in the social sciences… works to analyze them specifically from the perspectives of folks who have been marginalized or oppressed or outright excluded

Hermeneutic of Suspicion

Interpretive stance that questions texts and traditions for hidden biases and power dynamics.

Approach tradition/texts with skepticism, looking for hidden biases (e.g., patriarchal assumptions).

“With the advent of critical Christologies… there’s this call to view things with a —-… keep in the back of your minds a little bit of doubt

Hermeneutic of Charity

Interpretive method that seeks to retrieve and build on the positive elements within tradition.

Elizabeth Johnson… uses traditional Christian theology to challenge certain aspects… retrieval of wisdom Christology… Christ as the incarnate Lady Wisdom of the Old Testament”

Feminist Hermeneutics

Interpretive practice that critiques patriarchal bias and seeks inclusive readings of scripture and theology.

Letty M. Russell, Brackley acknowledges Russell’s work in developing feminist hermeneutics that challenge exclusion and promote liberation for women in church and society

Orthodoxy

Right belief; adherence to established Christian teachings.is what most people think of when they think of Christianity. It means believing the right things, teaching the right things

Orthopraxis

Right action; ethical practice flowing from faith, emphasized in liberation theology.

is what most people think of when they think of Christianity. It means believing the right things, teaching the right things

Liberation Theology

Theological movement focusing on God’s preferential option for the poor and the demand for social justice.

salvation is not merely about getting to heaven when I die… effort to bring salvation down to earth so that oppressed peoples can experience God’s salvation in the here and now

See, Judge, Act

Liberation theology’s method: observe reality, evaluate with faith and social analysis, then take transformative action.

process… observe reality, judge it based on scripture and tradition, then take action

Revolutionary Christology

View that Christ is encountered in the poor and oppressed, calling believers to radical social change.

Feminist Christology

Reimagines Christology from women’s experience, challenging patriarchal images and emphasizing inclusivity.

Black Christology (James Cone)

Identifies Christ with Black experience of oppression and liberation in the struggle for justice.

Asian Liberation Theology

Approaches (e.g., C. S. Song, Chung, Minjung) focusing on collective suffering and cultural context in Christology.

Ruah / Pneuma

Hebrew and Greek terms for Spirit, breath, or wind, referring to the Holy Spirit.

Parakletos

Greek term for advocate or comforter; title for the Holy Spirit as helper and consoler.

Mutual Indwelling

Doctrine that the Holy Spirit dwells in believers, uniting them with God and one another.

Fruits of the Spirit

Pauline list: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Consolation and Desolation

Spiritual experiences of peace or dryness used in discernment of God’s will.

Discernment

Process of recognizing God’s guidance through inner movements of consolation and desolation.

Divine Feminine (Spirit)

Theological exploration of feminine imagery and attributes applied to the Holy Spirit.

Augustine (Internal Grace)

Original Sin: All Inherit guilt and bent will

Grace: Internal, transforms will

Free Will: Limited, bent toward evil

Baptism: Necessary, cleanses original sin

Justification: By grace, faith, and baptism

“our wills are bent towards evil”

Pelagius (External Grace)

Original Sin: No inherited guilt, humans are neutral

Grace: External, in law and teaching

Free Will: Full, can choose good or evil

Baptism: Necessary, but after baptism, must do good

Justification: By following God’s law

“believes it’s possible for humans to live a sinless life… nothing’s turning us one way or the other”

LIberation Theology

salvation is not merely about getting to heaven when I die… effort to bring salvation down to earth so that oppressed peoples can experience God’s salvation in the here and now

Discernment

the spiritual practice of seeking and recognizing God’s will in one’s life. It involves attentive reflection on interior movements and external circumstances to make choices aligned with faith and justice.

“the world/Satan” can produce feelings of consolation, but only God can give overwhelming surety. True —- involves testing these movements to determine their source and direction

Consolation

a sense of deep peace, joy, or assurance that draws a person closer to God and others. It is often experienced as clarity or a strong sense of purpose when making decisions.

Vocation

one’s unique calling or purpose in life, discerned through prayer, reflection, and engagement with the world’s needs.

not just about career or religious life, but about living out one’s deepest desires in alignment with God’s love and justice. It is discovered through ongoing discernment and response to the needs of others

Desolation

dryness, confusion, or restlessness that distances a person from God or leads to self-absorption or despair.

The Passion of Christ and Compassion

refers to Jesus’ suffering and death, central to Christian faith as an expression of God’s love and solidarity with human suffering.

Compassion: To “suffer with” others; modeled by Jesus, who responded to the suffering of the marginalized with healing, forgiveness, and presence.

Transcript Reference: Class discussions emphasized that Jesus’ passion is not only about atonement but also about embodying compassion for the oppressed. The experience of suffering is not for its own sake, but as a path to deeper solidarity and transformative love

A Spirituality of Persecution

A spirituality that finds meaning and faithfulness in the midst of suffering, opposition, or marginalization.

iberation and critical Christologies stress that authentic Christian spirituality often involves standing with the persecuted and marginalized, as Jesus did. Faith is lived out most fully in contexts of struggle and resistance against injustice

“All Theology Is Local”

A concept emphasizing that theological understanding arises from specific cultural, social, and historical contexts. It asserts that experiences of local communities shape theological insights and expressions.

means there is no neutral or universal theology. Critical Christologies (liberation, feminist, Black, Asian, etc.) begin with the concrete suffering and experience of marginalized communities, rather than abstract doctrine. This approach challenges traditional, universalizing claims and insists that theology must respond to the real needs and questions of specific communities

Contemplation of Jesus’ Suffering and Death

emphasized that contemplating Jesus’ suffering draws believers into greater love, humility, and solidarity with the suffering of others. This practice shapes Christian identity and ethical action

Why Can’t Christians Understand the Christ of Faith Without Understanding the Jesus of History?

Without the Jesus of History, the Christ of Faith risks becoming abstract and disconnected from real human experience, especially the experience of the marginalized.

Critical Christologies insist that understanding Jesus’ historical context—his solidarity with the poor, his resistance to oppression, his suffering—grounds faith in concrete reality and challenges believers to live accordingly.

encourage students to see that faith is not just about doctrinal belief, but about following Jesus’ example in real-life contexts of suffering, justice, and hope.