soteriologies
Soteriology is the study of salvation or liberation in religious traditions. It asks how beings escape suffering or the cycle of rebirth and attain a final good, such as heaven, nirvana, or moksha. It examines the sources of misery, the means of release, and the afterstate.
Across traditions, common questions include whether salvation is achieved by divine grace, human effort, ethical conduct,
Christian soteriology centers on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, with salvation typically understood as
Islam stresses belief in God, repentance, and good deeds, with salvation judged by God’s mercy at the
Hindu soteriology offers moksha through paths such as knowledge, devotion, or action, with diverse schools stressing
Buddhist soteriology aims for nirvana, liberation from craving and the cycle of rebirth, attained via the Noble
Jainism seeks moksha through right perception, right knowledge, and right conduct, emphasized by nonviolence and ascetic
Sikhism teaches mukti through devotion to God, remembrance, and righteous service, seen as grace working through
Zoroastrian soteriology centers on living according to truth (asha) and good thoughts, words, and deeds, with
Soteriology thus intersects theology with ethics, anthropology, and eschatology, reflecting how different communities understand suffering, freedom,