The following of a spiritual path which will lead from a human condition of insecurity and disease to one of safety and wholeness may be described as salvation; and such paths are offered by "salvation religions". Some religions view salvation as an act of God, other systems look on it as deriving from human religious activity. Taoism emphasizes the elimination of disharmony; Mahayana Buddhism looks towards an intellectual vision parallelling Buddha's enlightenment; theism centres on a right relationship with the creator; Hinduism sees salvation as union with God; esotericism looks to knowledge of the self to remain on the path and be free of the cycle of birth and death. In Christian teaching, mankind has fallen from a state of right order towards God by the act of original sin; salvation is the generic term used to describe the action of God in restoring man to his original state. This hope of salvation from sin by the action of a deity or heroic figure is common to many religions.
Specifically, Christianity states that salvation cannot be won by human efforts, neither for the individual nor for the human race. By Christ's sacrifice of himself God receives the homage mankind had refused to render and the way is open for salvation. Mankind has only to respond in order to receive the grace which will free them from the slavery of sin. There is a difference between Catholicism and Lutheranism here, as Catholicism teaches salvation through works and faith while Lutheranism teaches it through God's grace and faith. Currently, the definition of salvation in the Church has been widened to include struggle not only of hope against despair in personal life but also for economic justice instead of exploitation, for human dignity instead of political oppression and for solidarity instead of alienation.
