5 Ways of Marketing Salvation

Is there any correlation between the economy of salvation being marketed and the growth rate of the Christian communities at a particular time and place?

There are at least five different economies of salvation that were marketed in the first millennium. In the second millennium, we would include Pope Leo X's, also known as Giovanni de Medici, sale of indulgences and the Puritans’ scaring the hell out of people models.

The church that prays together stays together and all of its communing members go to heaven [Cyprian]. Cyprian believed that those who partake of the sacrament became part of the body of Christ.

All of God’s creatures, including the cynical attorney, will go to heaven [Gregory of Nyssa].

Only members in good standing of my church will go to heaven [Augustine].

Only God knows who will go to heaven.

Within these four models there are a number of Patristic variations that either explain the works of Christ such as the victory, atonement, revelation and eschatological judgment motifs or provide guidance to obtain salvation such as the exemplar motif.

Thus Jesus the exemplar can be considered a fifth way of marketing salvation. Jesus as exemplar points the way to virtue by his own exemplary way of life and by his teachings, which became commands to his followers.

These conclusions should be considered preliminary. I plan to read some books on historical theology and marketing and then create my marketing plan.

Copyrighted 2006

Religion
Christianity
Gospel of Luke