Definition
In Christian theologies, the free gift of God that saves, transforms or sustains the human being without being earned as a salary.
Not all Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants describe grace, human cooperation, justification and sanctification in the same way. A comparative entry must preserve these differences.
To be retained
- Understanding it as a Christian concept
- Distinguish Doctrine
- Do not sell it as an energy
- Associated donation and responsibility
Origin of the term and context
Thanks to the Greek charism and the Latin gratia, words related to gift, favor and recognition, the controversy over grace, freedom and works have profoundly marked Christian history.
Why does it matter?
Grace is a theological affirmation, not a phenomenon measurable by science. Its language can sustain gratitude and humility, but it can also be distorted to impose dependence or deny human action.
- Understanding it as a Christian concept
- Distinguish Doctrine
- Do not sell it as an energy
- Associated donation and responsibility
How can it be explored or practised?
- Read a presentation of several churches
- Observe what the language of gift changes in your eyes
- Receive aid without turning it into debt
- Refusal to promise a "transmission of grace" for payment
Misconceptions and points of caution
- Grace is not a commercial reward.
- It does not guarantee earthly success.
- Its meaning is not identical to that of baraka or karma.
Perspectives from different traditions
- Catholicism: grace, sacraments and human cooperation.
- Orthodoxy: participation in divine life and theosis.
- Protestantism: a variable emphasis on grace alone and faith.
To go further
- Confessions — Augustin
- Treaty of Grace — Comparative Theological Readings