Breathing with Both Lungs: The Uncreated Grace of the Holy Trinity in the Works of Karl Rahner and St Gregory Palamas

Abstract

Eastern Orthodox theology in the 20th century experienced what has been referred to as a ‘Palamite renaissance,’ through a certain rediscovery of the works of the 14th-century archbishop and theologian, St Gregory Palamas. In the Christian West, 20th-century theology saw a great ‘return to the sources,’ among which Karl Rahner’s influential work played an important role in integrating elements of the scholastic tradition with that of the biblical and Greek patristic traditions. While there is a growing awareness and acceptance of Palamas’s teaching among Western scholars, many still view it as an incompatible obstacle to reconciliation between East and West. This article seeks to demonstrate that Karl Rahner’s work on grace and the Trinity, while remaining within its respective system and never mentioning Gregory Palamas, is at its heart identical to that of Palamas in several key areas, and that these two theologians may in fact provide a bridge for integrating the two traditions.