The Necessity Of Faith In Jesus Christ To Obtain Salvation

Antoine Arnauld A Renowned Xvii Century French Theologian And Philosopher Wrote This Book To Challenge The Soteriological Optimism Of Contemporary Catholic Humanists Which Had The Potential Of Shipwrecking The Faith Of Many Catholics On The Shores Of Deism And Religious Indifferentism. Arnauld Argues In A Rigorous Manner That Belief In God And In Divine Providence Is Not Enough To Be Saved: One Also Needs To Exercise Explicit And Concrete Faith In Jesus Christ. Since Those Who Lived Before Christ As Well As Pagans And Ancient Philosophers Who Came After Him Neither Exhibited In Their Lives Hopelessness About Their Sinful Condition Nor Believed They Needed A Divine Mediator To Save Them From Their Sins They Must Be Regarded As Lost. Though Arnauld'S Pessimism About The Fate Of Non-Christians Has Been Rejected In Catholic Theology In Light Of Recent Insights His Methodology Based On Scripture And Tradition Remains Valid And Well Tested.