Reaching for Liberation – Part 2 “Sin, Jesus' Death, and Salvation – The Problem”

This is the second of six posts in which I draw on an article by liberation theologian, Ignacio Ellacuria, to reflect on and seek to re-frame the connected themes of sin, Jesus' death, and salvation.

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I confess that for some time now in my own faith journey I have found the concept of “salvation”, as understood in the evangelical-fundamentalist context that I grew up in^*, less than satisfying. First off I find puzzling the whole concept of Jesus coming to earth for the primary or sole purpose of dying. The explanations given for how his death functions and of its necessicty for the salvation of humankind is equally perplexing. In fact, the focus on Jesus' death is such that it functions almost to the exclusion of his life. An additional aspect of this view is that it makes getting to heaven the primary purpose in God's saving action for humankind. In fact evangelicals and fundamentalists quite commonly will urge accepting Jesus “so that you will be sure that you go to heaven when you die.” So this theology not only minimizes the importance of Jesus' life but also minimizes the imporatnce of earthly life for all human beings. In fact there is at least an implicit, if not explicit, disdain expressed for “this sinful world.” Instead, primary value is given to the guarantee of the eternal “afterlife.”

Although I have for years been uncomfortable with the traditional Protestant-Evangelical-Fundamentalist (and, I might add, Catholic) explanations in this area, I had not found a satisfactory alternative understanding until I recently discovedred an article written in 1978 by Spanish liberation theologian, Ignacio Ellacuria. He offers a new frame for understanding sin, the meaning of Jesus' life and death, and salvation, that brings contemporary (21^st century) clarity and meaning to concepts that I have found to be lacking both rationally and experientially. In this and the following refections I hope to unpack in my own voice what I appreciate and have gained from Ellacuria.

First the question of sin. Traditionally sin has been understood primarily in an individual and personal sense. Eve and Adam in the Edenic Garden myth of Genesis disobeyed God's command that they not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This disobedience was viewed in the narrative as a personal infraction creating personal guilt and a rupture in the relationship with God. The consequence was punishment, being banished by God from the paradisical garden. Together with expulsion from the garden came the announcement of a variety of maladies that would attend humankind and impact the earth itself from that day forward.

Detail of "The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden" by
early Renaissance Italian artist Masaccio.

More than simply a mistake or bad moment of behavior, this act of disobedience blemished Adam and Eve in an irrevocable way. In consequence of their act, they became “sinful” beings - beings that, by nature, were no longer ok. From that day forward they would be soiled in a  way that would make them naturally, fundamentally unacceptable to God. Furthermore,  this “soiledness,” this “blemishedness” or  “brokenness” would be passed on to their  offspring and to their offspring's offspring and so  on, to every human being and to all future  generations of humankind.

Finally, this quality of being sinful would express itself through further acts of sin. Thus, the first couple's son Cain would soon thereafter in the biblical narrative kill his younger brother Abel out of jealousy. And not long afterwards essentially the entire human race would be found to be “wicked.” By chapter 6 of Genesis there was only one man, Noah, who found favor with God.

And so, according to this traditional view, a bad act carried out by the mother and father of the human race gives birth to a universal malaise that in turn leads every human being to act in ways that are self-damaging, damaging to each other, damaging to the earth, and an affront to God. And because of our sinful condition and our acts of sin, every one of us stands guilty before God. No woman or man qualifies on their own merit to be accepted by God. Rather, without some form of escape or rescue, we are condemned to eternal separation from our Creator.

This is where “salvation”comes into play. As described earlier, according to the traditional Christian view Jesus is the one who provides salvation. Through his death he takes on the guilt of humankind so that despite their sinfulness, humans can once again be befriended and re-united with God. From this perspective, as a divine being Jesus takes upon himself in a supernatural way the sinfulness and personal, individual sins of all human beings. Those who accept this gift of clemency are “saved” to live in friendship with God in this life. But even more importantly, in being saved they enter the promise and hope that at the end of this earthly life they will be caught up to live eternally and fully in God's presence in heaven.

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In the next post, we will begin looking at some of the ways Ellacuria's helps us re-frame this theology. We will be looking specifically at the question of  Jesus' primary earthly purpose and message.

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* See Part 1 at http://spiritandpraxis.blogspot.com/2015/02/reaching-for-liberation-part-1-growing.html