Prolegomena to a psychology of grace

Abstract

The basic objective of the historical Christian reflection has been to define the ontological nature of grace. By and large this effort must be regarded as successful?at least successful enough to provide some un derstanding of the complex relation between grace and nature. The un derstanding cannot be complete, because it deals with the mystery of divine action and existence, specifically with the relation between the created and the uncreated gift of grace. However successful such a re flection may be, as an ontological reflection it remains on a level of exterior and objective analysis. The analysis yields an understanding that can be partially reduced to a formulation in terms of the principles of being, but it fails thereby to iUumine the effect of grace upon the inner life of the soul. The analysis is therefore valid and necessary, in so far as it determines the essential intelligibility of grace in its varied manifesta tions; but it determines nothing in regard to the specific effects of grace in the soul or to the meaning of grace in human life and experience. Unquestionably, a rich fund of data dealing with the effects of grace is to be found in the sources of the Christian tradition. Reflection on the