Soteriology

Soteriology (from soter, savior, and logos, account) is the branch of theology concerned with salvation: what human beings are saved from, how salvation is accomplished, and what the saved state looks like. Orthodox soteriology differs from Western (particularly Protestant) soteriology primarily in emphasis: where the Western tradition often centers on forgiveness of guilt, Orthodox soteriology centers on healing of nature, defeat of death, and theosis. The question is not primarily 'How is guilt removed?' but 'How is the wound healed and the nature restored?'