In order to completely understand the theology of grace, one must examine the perspectives of Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Rahner, Segundo, and Boff. Each of these theologians had their own theories on grace, some of which were valid and others invalid. Augustine believed in the massa damnata, which suggests that people are generally damned. He also believed in double predestination, which means that only some people are chosen before birth to go to heaven. However, I disagree with this perspective as it implies that salvation is not available to all people.
Aquinas thought that grace was added to nature and that it elevates nature. He wrote the Summa, which demonstrates the beatific vision. The beatific vision is when the mind is unified with God. Aquinas’ theology is dualistic, displaying natural and supernatural as separate entities. I don’t believe in his beatific vision because I believe that God allows us to make our own choices out of free will, so our minds cannot be unified with Him. Unless I am wrong, this is saying that God knows what is going to happen before it happens.
If this is the case, why do we have suffering? Because God gave us free will. Luther viewed grace through his own view of himself as a sinner. He was so obsessed that he confessed his sins seven times a day. He said that grace is a favor of God and it heals a person’s sinfulness.
He said that Jesus’ word was a vehicle of grace and that grace cannot be merited. I think his views on grace are not very good because he views God as an active member and humans as a passive one. In order to be truly graced, I believe that both parties need to be active and involved. Rahner believes that grace is intrinsic to nature, and he also believes in Anonymous Christianity. This theory is that every person on this Earth is a Christian, even if they do not know it.
I don’t agree with this theory because God gives everyone free will, allowing them to believe the way they want to. Boff states that grace is a relationship with the trinity, and I agree with this because it involves showing love and devotion to all three persons of our one God. He also emphasizes that liberation is the key to grace.
I somewhat agree with this because it shows God that you are expressing your total love for Him. However, it is also important to show love towards others, as loving your neighbors is crucial. Segundo was a Jesuit priest from Uruguay and a liberationist. He believed that the meaning of grace was to love, and that love would set you free. I like the idea behind this concept because it suggests that if you devote yourself to God, He will take care of you and allow you to have your freedoms. Although this does not always happen, it is a good theory. I believe that in order to truly experience grace, you must love everyone and expect nothing in return.
The reason I say this is because you should know that God will take care of you no matter what. If your neighbors are good people, they will show you love and respect, so you need not worry about it. I also feel that you need to show love towards the Trinity and be faithful to your faith, no matter what it is. If you do these things, I believe that you will be graced.
