Autor: Ormerod, Neil

Buch: Creation, Grace, and Redemption

Titel: Creation, Grace, and Redemption

Stichwort: Erlösung - nicht-christliche Religionen; Islam, Judentum, Buddhismus

Kurzinhalt: ... neither Islam nor Judaism has a notion of original sin, and hence correlatively neither has a clear place for the notion of a savior.

Textausschnitt: DO OTHER RELIGIONS HAVE SAVIORS?

107a The notion of a savior is so entrenched in Christian self-understanding that it can come as a surprise to realize that for other religions there may be no notion of a savior at all. It is quite feasible to ask: How can the good actions of another person enhance my possibility for salvation? Why do I need another person to act on my behalf?

107b As we noted in our discussion of original sin, neither Islam nor Judaism has a notion of original sin, and hence correlatively neither has a clear place for the notion of a savior. Neither in Judaism nor in Islam is there solidarity in human sinfulness. Each person stands before God, personally responsible for his or her actions. Just as the sin of another cannot be the cause of my damnation, the good deeds of another cannot be the cause of my salvation. Muhammad, for example, is not a savior but a prophet, God's agent for revelation, but not for salvation. Christianity, on the other hand, holds to a solidarity in both damnation and salvation. While I may contribute to my damnation and my salvation, there are a variety of other influences that are beyond my control but that nonetheless shape my personal history. Our solidarity with Adam in original sin is matched by a more powerful solidarity in faith with Jesus Christ (Rom 5:12-21). To have a notion of a universal savior one needs some account of a universal human condition from which we need salvation. This is a significant difference between Christianity and both Islam and Judaism. (Fs) (notabene)

107c Does Buddhism consider the Buddha a savior? In classical Theravada Buddhism, the answer is no. In fact, the Buddha himself denied such a role to himself. In some forms of Buddhism, however, such as Mahayana Buddhism where the Buddha is viewed more as a semi-divine figure, he does become viewed as a savior. As we shall see, the dominant metaphor for salvation is that of enlightenment, with the Buddha as a teacher who leads the follower to the path of insight into the nature of the world. Still, this role could be played by another teacher who could lead us along the same path. However, the more the Buddha is viewed as a semi-divine figure, the more this enlightenment may be viewed as an act of divine graciousness mediated in some sense by the Buddha. In that sense he may be viewed as a saving figure, but not in the more exclusive sense used by Christian faith in relation to Jesus Christ. (Fs)