Grace - How Does Your Denomination Define It?

[Katholikos]

I'm researching all the differences there are in the ways Catholics and Protestants think about God, religion, and things related.

How does your denomination define "grace" and what are its effects?

Much obliged!

JMJ Likos

Edited May 7, 2004 by Katholikos

[the lumberjack]

you tell me first how YOUR denomination defines grace.

then I'll share mine.

God bless.

[Katholikos]

Aw, c'mon, L.J. Doesn't your denomination have a definition of grace and can't you say what you believe its effects are w/o comparing or contrasting it to the teaching of the Catholic Church?

Part dieu added: The Catholic Church is not a denomination. She is the nomination from which all denominations spring. She is the Mother Church of all Christendom. The existence of every other church is ultimately traced to her.

Edited May 7, 2004 by Katholikos

[Anna]

[quote name='Katholikos' date='May 7 2004, 01:26 PM']

The Catholic Church is not a denomination. She is the nomination from which all denominations spring. She is the Mother Church of all Christendom. [/quote]
Doh! I wanted to say that! :read:

[Hananiah]

The Catholic Church defines grace as supernatural aid, given to us by God, for our salvation. Catholics see grace as a quantifiable "thing" which God infuses in the soul. It sanctifies the recipient and frees his will from enslavment to sin, causing him to love righteousness and truth. Protestants see grace as simply an attribute of God, his "free and unmerited favor," not something He transfers or passes out like candy.

Once you understand the difference between the Catholic/Protestant theologies of grace, the differences in the theologies of justification make far more sense.

[Anna]

Ah, but back to the subject of Grace.

Fortunately, we as Catholics, need not worry about misstating what our Church teaches on this subject, since She eloquently teaches us the meanings of such terms in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We don't have to try to figure out what this or that means and hope we got it kinda right.

CCC [b]1996[/b] Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is [i]favor[/i], the [i]free and undeserved help [/i]that God gives us to respond to His call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life.

[b]1997[/b] [i]Grace is a participation in the life of God[/i]. It introduces us into the intimacy of the Trinitarian life: By Baptism the Christian participates in the grace of Christ, the Head of the Body. As an "adopted son" he can henceforth call God "Father," in union with the only Son. He receives the life of the Spirit who breathes charity into him and who forms the Church.

[Brother Adam]

"Divine Grace: This quality enables God to deal favorably with undeserving people according to His sovereign purpose"
- Practical Christian Theology, Floyd H. Barackman

[the_rev]

To add to what Anna said

CCC 2003

[quote]Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us. But grace also includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us to associate us with his work, to enable us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the Church. There are sacramental graces, gifts proper to the different sacraments. There are furthermore special graces, also called charisms after the Greek term used by St. Paul and meaning "favor," "gratuitous gift," "benefit." 53 Whatever their character - sometimes it is extraordinary, such as the gift of miracles or of tongues - charisms are oriented toward sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. They are at the service of charity which builds up the Church. 54


[/quote]

[Dave]

Will any Protestants here jump in?