First session: May 21 (tentative)
To many people, the promise of a better afterlife is the key selling point of religion. The main monotheistic religions also promise to provide an exclusive path to Paradise. For those who do not comply, the alternative is hell...a place typically described in terms that make Auschwitz look like a luxury resort.
(How) Can we reconcile hell with a God of love…or even just with a God who is good in any meaningful sense?
Christians believe that salvation is only possible through Christ, whose death on the cross provided propitiation by deflecting God’s wrath from us. What does that mean? What exactly does the Bible say about the path to heaven? What (if any) is the mechanism of salvation? How does it fit in with our (pre-)conceptions? In Philippians 2:12 we read, “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”
For an interesting overview of verses on salvation, check out the section “Salvation Related Passages in Christian Scriptures” at Wikipedia Salvation Page.
I’ll try to add thoughts and references as they become available. I also encourage you to submit your reflections now, so that they can ferment and bear fruit for the meeting.
Happy soteriologizing! (Yes, I made that word up.)
Paul
PS Check out the calendar below. I'm not sure whether you'll be able to make entries in it, but feel free if you can (propose another date, etc.).
