Grace Flashcards
How does St. Paul understand grace?
- Grace is a very Pauline term, but he does not have a systematic understanding: Grace has a polyvalent meaning
- St. Paul typically uses “grace” in the greeting and farewell of his letters: It reflects the entire reality of God.
- Grace = Totality of salvation, bestowed by God, in and through Christ (Gift of salvation accomplished in/through Christ)
- *E.g. Titus 2:11-14 (A Synthesis)
- 1) The grace of God has Appeared… (Grace is connected to the Incarnation)
- 2) …saving All (The universe salvific will; A gift freely offered to all)
- 3) training us to reject godless ways and to live in a certain way (Accepting grace obligates us to a certain way of life)
- 4) …To cleanse (We are cleansed by the pouring out of blood)
How does Irenaeus of Lyons understand grace?
Grace is understood in term of DIVINIZATION.
• DIVINIZATION is a FREE GIFT OF GOD INVITING US TO BE IMMERSED in the Life of God, the love of God.
Scriptural Themes of Divinization =» We are brought into communion: • 1) Partakers in the Divine Nature; 2) Children of God / Sons in the Son; 3) Co-heirs with Christ; 4) Temples of the Spirit
How does Pelagius understand grace?
Human person has unconditional freedom.
• Adam and Eve gave us a bad example, but we are fundamentally in the same state they were before the Fall.
• Grace = Merely “external helps” God gives us in order to live a righteous life (e.g. The Law, 10 Commandments, etc.)
How does Augustine understand grace?
+ Transformation: Contra Pelagius (esp. using his reading of Paul).
+ *Deification: By the grace of God, given by Christ, we are invited to become partakers in the divine nature.
• The “exchange of natures” —> Through Christ our humanity is now elevated to the life of God.
+ It is not inappropriate to describe Grace in terms of the effects of Baptism.
• Grace truly effects a transformation; we are changed.
• We become something that we were not; grace has “effected a true change”
+ Grace is ALL ENCOMPASSING:
• “God loved us even before we existed…”
• Conversion/Metanoia ≠ The first entry of grace into our lives.
• We see that grace has always been at work; At no stage are we completely by ourselves.
+ Grace as “Gift”
• When we receive the gift of grace, in love and faith, we respond by all aspects of what it means to be a Christian.
• Salvation = The human person being renewed in the image of God. In Christ, through grace, the image is renewed.
• The reason Augustine emphasizes grace so much is because we are in such great need of it. =» All of humanity is a mass/lump of sin (Augustine): Even to aspire to the good is the work of grace.
+++ 4 key points: Grace involves a spiritual rebirth, Deification (we share in his life), Grace renews the image of God within us, and Grace animates the light of love.
How does Aquinas understand grace? (5 elements)
1) Grace is not a created or uncreated quality, but indicates a relation between God and the Human person.
2) Grace is necessary for human salvation.
3) Grace heals and perfects human nature (Grace builds on nature).
4) The human contribution to salvation depends completely on the grace of God (cf. Augustine).
5) Sanctifying grace is, above all, and concretely, understood as Justifying Grace
What are the six elements that summarize the doctrine on Grace?
1) Grace is first and foremost God’s own divine life shared with us.
2) Grace is supernatural, but not opposed/foreign to creation.
3) Grace, which is revealed in its final and definitive fulfillment through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit, has been the goal & driving force of God’s creative action from the beginning.
4) Grace is not limited to or controlled by anyone or anything other than God.
5) Grace is opposed to sin.
6) The life of sanctifying grace is not a life different from our ordinary daily lives.
