Understanding Salvation Army Doctrine is essential to understanding what The Salvation Army is and what it believes. There are 11 doctrines which form the foundation for all Salvationist beliefs. They are not the full extent of what Salvationists believe, but they are the minimum that Salvationists must agree on.
The 11 doctrines form the fence around the field that Salvationists share. Some people like to stay right in the middle of that field, sticking strictly to what the doctrines say. Others prefer to stay near the edges, exploring the nuance in the doctrines.
When William and Catherine Booth founded The Salvation Army, they intended to reduce theological debate. They wanted people to focus on the Army’s mission rather than doctrinal debates. Therefore, they kept the doctrines short, to the point, and as broadly acceptable as possible. They wanted to make Salvation Army Doctrine easy to understand.
The Ladder of Salvation Army Doctrine
We can think of the Salvation Army Doctrines as a ladder. Each doctrine builds on the one that came before it. We can’t think of them as 11 independent statements. They go together to form a coherent whole. When we think of them as a ladder, it can help us to understand and remember them.
It’s also worth starting by noting that every doctrine begins with the words, “we believe.” The doctrines aren’t something we believe on our own. They are things we believe together. Doctrine shapes and forms a community. We cannot do Christian faith on our own, and it is incredibly dangerous to do theology on our own. We believe these things together.
You can find short introductory videos for each of the doctrines here:
Doctrine One – The Authority of the Bible
We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.
Doctrine One provides the foundation for everything else. Every other Christian belief is founded on the authority of Scripture. The Bible is the only divine rule for Christian life and beliefs. There are many other sources for the Christian life. But the Bible is the only divine source. Every other belief we hold, every action we take, the way we build our communities, must be grounded in Scripture. The first doctrine is the foundation for every other doctrine because every other doctrine is subordinate to the authority of Scripture.
Doctrine Two – There is Only One God
We believe that there is only one God, who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship.
There is only one God, who created all things, and through whom all things continue. God alone, the God of the Bible, is the only proper object of our worship. We know this because the Bible is clear on the nature and being of God. This doctrine provides the foundation for all subsequent doctrines. Our understanding of God and God’s work in the world is based on monotheism. God is one.
Doctrine Three – One God in Three Persons
We believe that there are three persons in the Godhead – the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory.
We believe in one God in three persons. This doctrine is revealed in Scripture and is dependent on our belief in the oneness of God. The doctrine of the Trinity provides the foundation for our understanding of who Christ is and for the communal life of the Church. The Trinity is one of the hardest parts of Christian teaching to understand. We believe in one God, unified in essence. God is who God is. God is not made up of parts. God simply IS. God is in three persons. Those three persons are united in essence. They are all God. There are not three Gods. Nor are they three aspects or parts of God. It is One God in Three persons.
Doctrine Four – Who is Jesus?
We believe that in the person of Jesus Christ the Divine and human natures are united, so that He is truly and properly God and truly and properly man.
Our understanding of who Jesus is begins with what we see in Scripture. This is understood in the context of the One God who is in Three persons. Jesus is One person with Two essences/natures. God is one essence in Three persons, Jesus is One person with two essences. This means that Jesus is truly and properly God, and truly and properly human. 100% human, 100% God. Not fifty/fifty.
Doctrine Five – The Problem
We believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocency, but by their disobedience they lost their purity and happiness, and that in consequence of their fall all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God.
Here we find the transition doctrine. The first doctrine gives us the authority for every other doctrine. Doctrines two to four explain who God is. Doctrine five moves to humanity. It starts by outlining the original intent for humanity, to be innocent and happy. It concludes by explaining why the world is the way that it is. Humanity has fallen short of who it was meant to be. Every part of us; body, mind, heart, spirit, has been corrupted by sin. We cannot by our own corrupted will seek to follow God or ask for forgiveness. Here we have the problem. The next six doctrines give us the answer to that problem.
Doctrine Six – The Solution
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has by His suffering and death made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever will may be saved.
It is God who makes the first move towards humanity. We could not by our own corrupted will seek out God. God has to reveal God’s self to us through Scripture, in the Person of Jesus, and through the Holy Spirit. The atoneining work of Jesus was for the whole world. It is the pouring forth of grace. First, what is called prevenient grace, which means the grace that goes first. This grace makes it possible for us, corrupted though we may be, to recognise and respond to God. Without that grace, our Will would not be truly free. Then, we have saving or transforming grace. This is available to everyone, because of prevenient grace.
Doctrine Seven – What Does Salvation Require?
We believe that repentance towards God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit, are necessary to salvation.
Salvation comes from Christ alone, by the grace of God alone. But, to accept the consequences of that salvation, we must respond to God. Doctrine seven outlines what is necessary for salvation. This isn’t a check list we have to fill out. Nor is it a set of conditions we have to fulfil. It is the natural consequence of recognising our need for salvation and realising that through Christ it is possible. We need to repent to God for our mistakes and sins. This is possible through our faith in Jesus as Lord and saviour. Then we can expect regeneration by the Holy Spirit, where our life is changed through the love of God. We are made new.
Doctrine Eight – How Does Salvation Work?
We believe that we are justified by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that he that believeth hath the witness in himself.
Doctrine Eight is a key doctrine. It is rooted in scripture, in the person of Jesus, and explains the mechanics of salvation. Doctrine eight is also an identity marker for The Salvation Army. It positions us in relation to other churches and denominations. We believe that we are justified, that is made right with God, by the grace of God. It is not something we earn, deserve, or could gain by our own work. That grace is actualised, or made real, in our life through having faith in Jesus. Our faith does not save us, but it lays claim to the salvation that Christ has made for us. Then, we believe that everyone who has been saved is a witness to Jesus. Everyone has something to offer and to share. Everyone is involved in ministry.
Doctrine Nine – Maintaining Our Salvation
We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.
Doctrine nine, just like doctrine eight, is another identity marker. It expresses the distinctively Wesleyan and Arminian theology of the Army. That means, the Army believes that anyone can be saved, and everyone is free to respond to Christ (because of prevenient grace). It also means that people who have been saved can turn away from God. We maintain our salvation through continued and obedient faith in Christ. The two words, continued and obedient, go together. Faith in Christ demands that we are obedient to His commands. If we cease to obey what God asks of us, we cease to have faith in Jesus.
Doctrine Ten – Sanctification
We believe that it is the privilege of all believers to be wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is perhaps our most distinctive doctrine. The Salvation Army is a holiness movement. We believe that it is possible for a person to be wholly sanctified. That means that where previously we were wholly fallen, now we are wholly saved and redeemed. Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, subsequent to our salvation, we are given the power to overcome temptation. Our desire to turn away from God is purified. It becomes possible for a person to live their life without sin. And, through the Holy Spirit, even in our mistakes, we continue to be held by God.
Doctrine Eleven – What Comes Next?
We believe in the immortality of the soul; in the resurrection of the body; in the general judgment at the end of the world; in the eternal happiness of the righteous; and in the endless punishment of the wicked.
The final doctrine is the doctrine of what happens at the end of the world. The ladder begins with the Bible and ends with the transformation and redemption of this creation.
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Here is The Salvation Army’s page on its beliefs. It goes through the 11 doctrines one by one. There are also links to other parts of Salvationist belief and practice. You can also find a link to download The Salvation Army handbook of Doctrine for free.
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