Grace
The favor no one earns: God's free saving help, given before we ask
Grace is God's unmerited favor and saving help, freely given to humanity, a theme woven through Paul's letters and developed by Augustine. Its nature is contested: traditions differ over whether grace is prevenient, irresistible, or cooperating. Augustinian and Reformed thinkers emphasize grace's sovereign initiative, Catholic teaching speaks of grace that humans cooperate with, and synergist views stress the joining of divine grace and human response. All affirm that grace originates in God.
How it traveled
- RomansCorinth · 67explains
- 2 CorinthiansPhilippi · 67explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the RomansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John ChrysostomConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and EphesiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- A Commentary on the Acts of the ApostlesConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Homilies on First CorinthiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and ThessaloniansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Homilies on Second CorinthiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and PhilemonConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Expositions on the Book of PsalmsHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise Against Two Letters of the PelagiansHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on the Predestination of the SaintsHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original SinHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on Nature and GraceHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of InfantsHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on the Spirit and the LetterHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on Grace and Free WillHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Treatise on Rebuke and GraceHippo Regius · 430explains
- A Work on the Proceedings of PelagiusHippo Regius · 430explains
- City of GodHippo Regius · 430explains
- The ConfessionsHippo Regius · 430explains
- Letters of St. AugustinHippo Regius · 430explains
- The EnchiridionHippo Regius · 430explains
- Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New TestamentHippo Regius · 430explains
- Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. JohnHippo Regius · 430explains
- Treatise on the Sacraments (qq[60]-90)Paris · 1274explains
- Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59)Paris · 1274explains
- Internal ConsolationZwolle · 1471explains
- Commentary on GalatiansWittenberg · 1546explains
- Discussion: First PartWittenberg · 1546explains
- Discussion: Third PartWittenberg · 1546explains
- Discussion: Second PartWittenberg · 1546explains
- Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from ItGeneva · 1564explains
- Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the GospelGeneva · 1564explains
- XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvationNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three PartsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758redefines
- Seventeen Occasional SermonsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- The great christian doctrine of original sin defendedNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Five Sermons. On Different OccasionsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
Key passages(20)
The Cost of Discipleship · Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Love Alone Is Credible · Hans Urs von Balthasar
Foundations of Christian Faith: An Introduction to the Idea of Christianity · Karl Rahner
Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux · Thérèse of Lisieux
The Seven Storey Mountain · Thomas Merton
A Treatise on Rebuke and Grace · Augustine of Hippo
A Treatise on rebuke and grace, by aurelius augustin, bishop of hippo; In One Book, addressed to valentine, and with him to the monks of adrumetum. a.d. 426 or 427 ———————————— In the beginning
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XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
3. It is in this doctrine that the most essential difference lies between the covenant of grace and the first covenant. The adverse scheme of justification supposes that we are justified by our works,
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But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was bestowed on me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
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A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 18.—The Desire of Good is God’s Gift. For they have thought that it was to be objected to us that we say “that God inspires into unwilling and resisting man the desire,” not of any very great
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A Treatise Against Two Letters of the Pelagians · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 4 [IV.]—Pelagians and Manicheans on the Praise of the Creature. These things being so, what advantage is it to new heretics, enemies of the cross of Christ and opposers of divine grace, that
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A Treatise on Grace and Free Will · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 27 [XIV.]—Grace Effects the Fulfilment of the Law, the Deliverance of Nature, and the Suppression of Sin’s Dominion. It has, however, been shown to demonstration that instead of really mainta
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A Treatise on Grace and Free Will · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 13 [VI.]—The Grace of God is Not Given According to Merit, But Itself Makes All Good Desert. From these and similar passages of Scripture, we gather the proof that God’s grace is not given ac
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A Treatise on Nature and Grace · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 29 [XXVI.]—A Simile to Show that God’s Grace is Necessary for Doing Any Good Work Whatever. God Never Forsakes the Justified Man If He Be Not Himself Forsaken. See the treatise De Peccatorum
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A Treatise on Rebuke and Grace · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 38.—What is the Nature of the Gift of Perseverance that is Now Given to the Saints. And thus God willed that His saints should not—even concerning perseverance in goodness itself—glory in the
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Commentary on Galatians · Martin Luther
I always say, there is no remedy against the sects, no power to resist them, except this article of Christian righteousness. If we lose this article we shall never be able to combat errors or sects. W
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for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
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Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John · Augustine of Hippo
7. “John beareth witness of Him, and crieth, saying, This was He of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is made before me.” He came after me, and He preceded me. What is it, “He is made before me”?
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Treatise on the Angels (qq[50]-64) · Thomas Aquinas
Objection 3: Further, to turn oneself to God is to dispose oneself for grace; hence it is said (Zech. 1:3): "Turn ye to Me, and I will turn to you." But we do not stand in need of grace in order to pr
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Treatise on the Sacraments (qq[60]-90) · Thomas Aquinas
We must now consider the effects of this sacrament, and under this head there are eight points of inquiry: (1) Whether this sacrament bestows grace? (2) Whether the attaining of glory is an effect o
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XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
5. The contrary scheme of justification derogates much from the honour of God and the Mediator. I have already shown how it diminishes the glory of the Mediator, in ascribing that to man’s virtue and
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Modern teachers who discuss this idea
Modern and living teachers whose books take up Grace. These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.
- Thérèse of LisieuxStory of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux(1898)View on Amazon→
- Dietrich BonhoefferThe Cost of Discipleship(1937)View on Amazon→
- Thomas MertonThe Seven Storey Mountain(1948)View on Amazon→
- Hans Urs von BalthasarLove Alone Is Credible(1963)View on Amazon→
- Karl RahnerFoundations of Christian Faith: An Introduction to the Idea of Christianity(1976)View on Amazon→