Jesus and Salvation - by Robin Ryan (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

How does the Christian proclamation of salvation in Jesus Christ relate to the lives of the people who suffer most? Does salvation consist entirely of the hope for eternal life with God? How might the church effectively preach the message of salvation in Christ today?

In Jesus and Salvation, Robin Ryan adopts a historical approach to these questions, discussing key themes and classic authors in the developing tradition about Christ the Savior. He examines modern soteriology by engaging the thought of Karl Rahner, Edward Schillebeeckx, Gustavo Gutiérrez, and Elizabeth Johnson. He also discusses contemporary conceptions of salvation within an evolutionary view of the cosmos as well as issues related to the Christian confession of Jesus as universal savior in a religiously pluralistic world. Ryan concludes by offering his own reflections on the meaning of salvation from God in Jesus Christ. By understanding salvation in Christ as both gift and call, Ryan invites readers to recognize in the saving grace of God a responsibility for the well-being of the human family and the rest of creation.

Review Quotes

"I do recommend this book to education Christian readers, most particularly to theology teachers, seminarians, and graduate students."O. Ernesto Valiente, Theological Studies

"In his latest work, Jesus and Salvation: Soundings in the Christian Tradition and Contemporary Theology, Robin Ryan provides an informative and judicious overview of Christian thought on the salvific work of Jesus Christ from the New Testament to the present. Among modern authors, Karl Rahner, Hans Urs von Balthasar and Edward Schillebeeckx receive the most detailed attention. This well-written book should prove to be of interest and value to serious students of Christology."
John P. Galvin, Ordinary Professor of Systematic Theology, The Catholic University of America

"Robin Ryan has produced a clearly organized, straightforward textbook that surveys soteriology from Christian origins to present."Worship

"Ryan's clear prose, good organization, and attention to defining key terms make this an excellent book for undergraduate courses. For graduate students, it will provide a reliable, up-to-date review of scholarship in the field and an introduction to some significant trajectories for ongoing research."Jessica Coblentz, Catholic Library World

"This book is a gem. Ryan's comprehensive survey of images, metaphors, and theories of salvation is both a splendid compendium of what has been developed through the centuries of Christian tradition and a groundbreaking study that opens new ways of speaking of Christ's saving activity. It is both highly readable and refreshingly provocative, a must-read for anyone seriously thinking about soteriology."
Barbara E. Reid, OP, PhD, Vice President and Academic Dean, Catholic Theological Union

"A clear, balanced, and reliable guide to the many ways that Christians have thought about salvation in Jesus Christ. Robin Ryan's book will help anyone seeking a deeper understanding of what Jesus' life, death, and resurrection mean for us today."
Robert Schreiter, Catholic Theological Union

"Salvation is at the heart of Christian experience and teaching yet remains a complex and elusive notion. How are we saved? And why do we need to be saved in the first place? Thoughtful people of faith have wrestled with these questions from the very beginning of Christianity. In this exceptional book, Robin Ryan, CP, provides a trustworthy and illuminating account of the various explanations of `salvation' from its roots in the Scriptures through the course of history until the present day. He provides lucid and informative analyses of the wide diversity of Christian perspectives on salvation, spanning the foundational views of the Patristic era to the ecological and liberationist perspectives of the modern era. But this is not a simple cataloguing of others' opinions. Ryan's keen and clear interaction with these theologies of salvation and his own pastorally rich perspective on salvation and communion make this a singular contribution to contemporary theology--one that will be esteemed by theologians and pastors alike."
Donald Senior, CP, President Emeritus, Catholic Theological Union

"This very well-researched, sensible, and accessible book covers the major questions to be raised about the salvation brought through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The divine concern for the whole human family and its environment is as timely a message as ever."
Gerald O'Collins, SJ, Emeritus Professor of the Gregorian University, Author of Jesus Our Redeemer: A Christian Approach to Salvation