The question has come up in conversation recently and I have started to think about it. Is there a theology for communal salvation? Is it possible we are saved as a group, community, rather then as individuals, and if so what are the ramifications?
Western Christianity has been rooted in an individualistic perspective. Our teachings, the way we read scripture and a great deal of our theology has been based on an individual rather then a communal approach to God. We make a commitment to Christ as an individual, we search the scriptures to see what they mean to me, we experience salvation as an individual, and we read the epistles as if they were written to an individual rather then a community of faith. Is there any wonder why we have so little use for community?
Is it possible that I cannot be saved with out you? Is there a communal salvation experience much like the Old Testament experience of Israel? Scripture tells us God saved His people, which would seem to indicate a community, rather then a bunch of individuals.
I have to admit this sounds pretty far out there for me, but I am fully aware of my ability to be so caught up in the culture of individuality that I can’t see communally. Here are a few observations.
Most of the New Testament was written to churches not individuals. That seems to lead one to the conclusion that scripture, at least the majority of the New Testament is to be understood in the context of community not individuality.
The Body of Christ motif makes me wonder, just how much room there is for individuality in the church?
The theology of the Trinity on some level seems to teach a form of community in the Godhead that should be mirrored in the church.
Individualism is a god of this age and as such, should make us sit up and take notice. We should at least guard against worshipping at this gods alter.
If there is a theology of communal salvation taught in scripture, can you imagine the changes it would create in the church? If the statement is true that I cannot be saved with out you, then I’m going to make dead sure you’re taken care of emotionally, physically and spiritually. The teaching of fellowship takes on a whole new meaning when my salvation is linked to yours. All the sudden your more then a person on the other side of the auditorium, if your essential to my salvation.
The more I think about this stuff the more sense it makes. In Philippians Paul is obsessed with getting every one home. Why? Is he working on a commission basis or is his own salvation some how linked to the folks reading his letter?
This will take some time, study, thinking and conversation to work through so don’t hold me to anything I’ve written. To me it sounds like a fascinating trip.
posted by Randy @ 6:38 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I had never thought of communal salvation until I visited The Sojourners, a community of Christians in San Francisco. These people are in SERIOUS Christian community--they share finances, cars, living spaces, etc. That's kind of hard to imagine these days, but they feel that what they do exemplifies the Kingdom of God on earth. The members of our program shared a weekend with them, and they shared with us some of their ideas about what it means to live in the Kingdom here on earth.
One of the ideas they talked about was that we are saved as a community, as a group of believers. We talked about Israel and about how communal salvation affects our relationships with each other. It was a very interesting weekend!
And I have to admit that I am a pretty independent person, but I really LIKE the idea of communal salvation. You're right, it means that we all mean a lot more to each other than we want to admit, that we are responsible for our brothers and sisters in ways we weren't before.
And it makes me wonder: if more American Christians believed in a "Communal Salvation Doctrine," would that change the way we relate to our brothers and sisters in other countries, Christians who live in other communities but whose well-being we should be looking out for? Would we forgo the Hummer and buy food for the hungry?
In investigating the possibility of communal salvation, it might help to define exactly what you mean by "salvation". What are we saved from? What are we saved for? Who does the saving? When are we saved?
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