Deconstructing Christianese: Reclaiming Five Biblical Terms Misused in Evangelicalism (Word 1: Salvation)
Many of us grew up with a Christianese vocabulary that, upon reflection, can cause feelings of cringe in light of our deconstruction. Having developed our theological vocabulary within the confines of an evangelical bubble, some words can now cause visceral reactions in our bodies when we hear them today. But is this a matter of the words themselves, or an inherent bias that redefined them? Is it possible to recapture the beauty of words which once were used to confine us to a narrow and disembodied faith system? Yes! So, in the next few weeks, I will unpack five examples of words that have changed meaning for me as I have gone through a process of deconstruction and reconstruction of my Christian faith.
Word #1
Salvation (n); Saved (adj.): From “Souls going to heaven when they die” to “Wholistic redemption of all things.”
In evangelicalism, the meaning of “salvation” was confined to the abstract, referring primarily to a state of being of an individual—a status of being forgiven. “Saved” people go to heaven when they die. People who have “lost their salvation” or are “unsaved” will not. “Salvation” was transactional and individualistic nature, being conferred upon a person in exchange for believing the correct information about the Gospel. Therefore, the hope of salvation in evangelicalism was disembodied: an escape of one’s soul from the earth into an immaterial existence.
The urgency of getting people “saved” trumped all other concerns. Priorities such as care for the poor fell victim to the logic that reasons it’s better to be hungry and go to heaven then to be well fed and go to hell. Concern for the environment was nonexistent due to a mindset which expects the earth to soon burn away. Systemic injustices (such as what is presently occurring in Minneapolis) were ignored in a theological system which denies that salvation has anything to do with social issues. Love for neighbor was overlooked in a culture that divides people into “saved” and “unsaved.”
In scripture, “salvation” is wonderfully embodied in peoples and places in the here and now. It is more than a status of forgiveness; it is deliverance from the consequences of sin and evil in the world. For God’s people in the Old Testament, salvation includes ideas such as rescue from oppressors (Isaiah 33:2-3) and restoration of their land (Isaiah 49:8). It is holistic, said to surround God’s people like a city (Isaiah 60:18). Old Testament salvation is God granting favor upon the faithful in this life, resulting in having many children, harvesting abundant crops, enjoying food and wine, and living in peace with neighbors.
In the New Testament, Jesus’ work on the cross means that he will “reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven” (Col 1:20). “Heaven” and “Earth” refer to the immaterial and material aspects of creation – both the “seen” and the “unseen” finally being made right.
Therefore “salvation” is not only a rescue of one’s immaterial soul, but also the Savior’s work of undoing broken and unjust systems and structures on our material earth. It is God’s work of making things new in the here and now: ending violence, repairing damage to our environment, righting injustice, ending disease, emancipating captives, and reconciling all things to himself through Jesus.
We can recapture the meaning of the word “salvation” by believing the promise that God will ultimately make all things new through Jesus. Rather than a status being conferred upon us through a transaction, salvation is something that God is already doing in the world—a “city” into which we are invited to enter. God’s people can participate in salvation in this life by advocating for the poor, welcoming the immigrant, caring for the sick, championing the environment, being faithful in our vocations, loving our neighbors, and demonstrating integrity in all things. And we can rejoice in the hope of our salvation, even in the midst of injustice and violence, knowing that the promises of God will ultimately be fulfilled.
