在六朝所面對的時代巨變、特別是南北朝分治的三百年間，道教以民族宗教嘗試對之提出一套創發性的解說，並拯救民人於苦厄之中。 　　道教的基本理念即是基於「度劫」與「命定」，由此建立了中國式的「拯救論」，這種拯救論自有其重要的，而不同於基督教義之處。雖則其理論容或有多少的異同，但是都建基於兩種模式︰即宇宙論與拯救論。 　　宇宙論模式︰道教傳承了傳統中國式的宇宙構成論及其結構，因之，宇宙乃是遵循圓道循環，即陰與陽的消長︰陽數之極為陽九，以此示象為乾旱；百六為極陰之數，即示象為洪災。類此宇宙構成論，乃導致天人感應，換言之，其間的相對影響緣於宇宙失序乃人在道德上，罹犯了罪及應承擔的罪的後果，故上天應施予懲罰。 　　在中國哲學裏此即基於「常與變」、「常與反常」，儒家守常而道家達變。後者關懷旱災、洪災、疫病、集體死亡及朝代末，此即拯救論的「末世」，也就是朝代終結的「末嗣」，在此即將由神施行其嚴厲的罪罰與救贖。 　　而在拯救論模式︰道教的智慧將嘗試解決世厄，使之由反常而返常，此即是「種民」經挑選的人中之種，可變化成仙，這就成為安樂而和諧的世界。它將捨離罪、過而不再罹犯，也不再為天（天帝）所棄。 　　道教即結合此兩種模式，以為奉道即為了行善去惡，遵行正道，如此道教徒即成為被拯救者，在實踐中離惡去罪，這是一般研究道家的學者所易於忽略的。

In facing the radical changes in China during the Six Dynasties, especially in facing the political division between both sides of the South and North Dynasties for three hundred years, Taoism as a national religion had to elaborate a creative interpretation of its doctrine of salvation: that is, saving people from calamity. The theological foundation of Taoism is based upon these concepts of “calamitous turn” and “fateful calamity,” upon which we can say there is a kind of “Chinese eschatology.” This eschatology has its essential dogmas; it is different from the Christian version, although the framework of presentation is more or less the same. Both are worked out on two models, the cosmological and the soteriological. The cosmological model: Taoism has inherited a traditional Chinese vision of cosmic origin and structure. According to it, the cosmos follows a cyclic order within which the rhythmic dialectics between Yin and Yang take place. The Yang pole, when pushed to its radical state, interpreted by the number 9, represents the calamity of drought; whereas the Yin pole, radicalized to the state interpreted numerically by 6, represents the calamity of flood. The doctrine of sensitive interaction between Heaven and Man is derived from this organic cosmology. Here we have another vision of mutual influence between natural disasters and human morality, the latter being characterized by either trespass and sin, or merit and virtues, provoking thereby either punishment or reward from the cosmic process. The oppositions between “permanence and change,”as well as “normal and abnormal,”constitute a basic conceptual structure in Chinese philosophy. Confucianism is for the permanent and the normal, whereas Taoism is more on the side of change and the abnormal. That is why it concerns itself with drought, flood, illness, collective death and the end of dynasties, etc. It combines the eschatological concept of “end” with the catastrophic concept of calamity into the concept of “Catastrophic Ending,”which is also considered as the right moment for punishment or salvation by the Omnipotent God. The soteriological model: Taoist wisdom is a type of learning about tackling radical changes. Its main concern is how to return from the abnormal to the normal. Those who follow the Way become the “seed people”: elected people in the Taoist sense, to be rewarded by entering the world of immortals, transcending all life and death in spatio-temporal process. This will be a world of happiness and harmony. Those who, abandoning themselves in evil and sin, do not follow the Way, are to be abandoned again by Heavenly God. Combining both models, Taoism sees the world as an unceasing recurrence of fateful calamity and salvation from calamity. Under this main concern, new sects of Taoism tend to emphasize the role of Savior, but the aspect of cultivational practice, although often neglected by scholars of Taoism, is also essential for salvation from sin and evil.