frälsning

Frälsning is a Swedish term meaning salvation or deliverance. In Christian theology it refers to being rescued from sin, death, and separation from God, and to the attainment of eternal life or reconciliation with the divine. The concept exists in many Christian traditions but is interpreted differently within each.

Within Catholicism, frälsning is understood as justification and sanctification through God's grace, received by faith and nurtured through the sacraments, especially baptism and the Eucharist. The atoning work of Jesus Christ is central, and human cooperation through obedience and good works is also emphasized in traditional teaching.

In Lutheran theology, frälsning emphasizes justification by faith alone, by grace alone, for Christ's sake, and not by works. Humans cannot earn salvation; it is a gift received through faith. Sanctification follows as a consequence of grace.

In Reformed and other Protestant traditions, salvation is by grace through faith, with emphasis on divine sovereignty, election, and the perseverance of the saints. The Holy Spirit works faith and inspires righteous living.

Orthodox Christianity frames frälsning as theosis, or deification—a healing of the fallen image and a transformative participation in God’s life, often described as a synergy between divine grace and human cooperation.

In secular Swedish usage, frälsning can mean rescue from danger or oppression, and is used metaphorically in literature and political rhetoric to denote liberation or redemption.