Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Salvation As A Communal Journey

Salvation As A Communal Journey

Last updated on: March 7, 2025 at 3:11 am by Henry Karlson

0 Comments

Salvation As A Communal Journey 2025-03-07T03:11:27-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Anonymous: Church of Christ Icon / Wikimedia Commons

As a theologian, Joseph Ratzinger promoted a hopeful eschatological vision. He explained that humanity has a common origin, even as they have a common destiny. Both of them are made by God, who created them to experience or participate in the divine life, and so God calls everyone to salvation:

The fact of our being formed in God’s likeness (Gottebenbildlichkeit) contains an eschatological, future aspect. Just as the biological commonness of human life points to the common destiny of death, the return to the dust of the one Mother Earth, so also the breath of God given to man includes the calling to eternal community with God in himself. Such community is likewise a brotherly community of all the children of God. The divine, salvific will extends to all men (1 Tim. 2:4); all are invited to the divine marriage feast, all are destined ultimately as citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem to be members of the community of the saved. [1]

There is something very Pauline in this formulation for Paul said that as all sinned in common in Adam, all will find their salvation in Jesus Christ, the New Adam. We share in a common destiny, one which includes temporal death, but also one which includes transcendence, that is, the kingdom of God. Death comes to us as a result of our shared sin, while our transcendence comes to us in the incarnate God-man. God assumed human nature, became one of us, so as to make sure humanity (and the rest of creation) can attain the beatitude God intended for it. God the Word assumed that which was given to us through the old Adam, allowing him to suffer with us the fate of humanity, that is to experience death. However, he came among us, not to let death have the final say but rather, to conquer or transform it. Christ’s resurrection of the dead has overcome the sting of death so that death no longer serves our annihilation, but rather, serves as a turning point for us so we can join in Christ’s resurrection for ourselves, and all the glory which comes from it.

Too many people, too many Christians, focus so much on the fall, the universal destiny which comes from the fall (death), that they fail to see the true transformation made by Christ, which is why so many are hesitant with the notion of the possibility that all can and will be saved. They see everything, especially salvation, individualistically, even though Scripture suggests that both our fall and our salvation have communal aspects to them. We were made for the kingdom of heaven, to become adopted children of God, not as individuals, but as persons in loving, interdependent relations with each other. God loves us personally, and addresses us as persons, but we are persons only in and through our relationship with our community, that is, in and through the relations we have with every other human person, and so, in and through our relationship with the rest of humanity as a whole. To address us as persons is to also address us in our relationships with the rest of our community, so that, if we try to cut ourselves from the whole of humanity, to be individuals apart from everyone else, we find ourselves turning away from God. Archbishop Joseph Raya, understanding this, wrote: “Christ’s standard for human behavior is that just as God creates and loves human persons, he also wants us to take care of each other and bring each other to the fullness of our potentialities.”[2]

Deifying grace, theosis, allows us not only to reach the fullness of our innate, natural potential, but to transcend it. Our theosis, our deification, must not be understood individualistically, because theosis makes us become like God, and God is not an individual, but tri-personal. Just as the Godhead is not composed of three independent individuals, but three persons perfectly and fully united and one with each other, in and through the bonds of love, in our theosis, we will find ourselves becoming persons in communion with each other, realizing humanity is meant to reflect the divine unity in plurality with its one integral unity. This is something which is often not considered when discussing eternity. So many contemplate our eternal life individualistically instead communally, which of course gives a distorted understand of the kingdom of God and the glory which is found in it. Eternal life, beatitude, will have us in loving communion with everyone else in the kingdom of God, even as, we together, find ourselves participating in and experiencing the divine life, the life of love. Our theosis, our deification, will have our loving relationships with each other grow the more we are deified, so that eternity is not “static, but rather the opposite, as there will be constant growth, and with that growth, constant awareness of all things always being new, never leaving us bored or discontented.

Individualistic notions of eternity must give way to communal notions, ones which looks at humanity as one integral whole. The more someone tries to be an individual cut off from the rest of humanity, the more they, and humanity as a whole, suffer, because both experience a loss due to what they fail to receive from each other. This is why the call for salvation is communal and not individualistic. When we understand this, we can understand talk about salvation must be more than talk, but something which is put into action, where Christians truly reveal the love of God to the world, and thus, to the people of the world lest, as St. Bernard of Clairvaux feared, our talk about salvation will slowly lose its value as people innately sense there is something wrong with what we say:

I do truly fear one thing: that words of salvation heard so many times may begin to lose their value to us as words. A cheap and changeable thing indeed is a human word, of no space in time, no weight, no value, no solidity. It reverberates in the air (hence we say ‘verb’), and, like a leaf caught by the wind, it floats, and there is no one who considers it. Let no one of you, brothers, so comprehend, rather let no one so reprehend the word of God. For I say to you: it would have been good for that man if he had not listened. God’s words are the fruits of life, not the foliage; but if [they are] foliage, they are golden. Accordingly, let them not be slighted, not slid away, nor slip by.[3]

God’s words, indeed the Word of God, calls us to life, to true life, life with the spirit, the spirit of love. We need to do more than speak about the truths of the Christian faith, we need to love. We need to look to those who have been oppressed and show them our love, indeed recognizing that because of their oppression, they need help more than others. The more we act on such love, the more we will properly proclaim the Gospel. For we must understand that we are not being offered cheap grace, but rather the grace which calls us to action, to transform ourselves, and the rest of the human community, until at last, in the eschaton, justice and love will prevail.

[1] Joseph Ratzinger, “The Dogmatic and Ascetical Meaning of Christian Brotherhood” in Man Before God: Toward A Theology of Man. Ed. Dennis Burkhard OFM, Leo A. Connolly, William T. Merten, and Michael G. Steinhauser (New York: P.J. Kenedy & Sons, 1966), 115.

[2] Archbishop Joseph Raya, The Abundance of Love: The Incarnation and Byzantine Tradition (Combermere, ON: Madonna House Publications, 1989; 3rd ed.: 2016), 83.

[3] St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons for the Summer Season. Trans. Beverly Mayne Kienzle and James Jarzembowski (Kalamazoo, MI.: Cistercian Publicans, 1991), 111 [Peter and Paul: Sermon Three].

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

General Christian

Previous Post

March 6, 2025

Women’s History Month: A Call To Amplify Women's Voices

Next Post

March 9, 2025 Icons And the Unity of Truth, Goodness, And Beauty

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Gosh, did that hit the spot. I have been having great anxiety lately. And I ..."

Mark Wilson

Rejecting Doom: Christian Hope And Human ..."

"Justice and peace are two sides of the same coin. Where there is justice, there ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

"Thank you for your very, very powerful and very, very insightful analysis of the relationship ..."

alwayspuzzled

Justice First, Charity Beyond It: Serving ..."

"Given the amount of lethal malevolence that has prevailed in human history for the past ..."

alwayspuzzled

We Must Value Our Health

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz