Justice, Grace, and Love: A Theological Commendation

This paper offers a discussion of the way in which the theological 'goods' of unity, koinonia and the Kingdom of God can be glimpsed amongst the co-belligerence of churches in the pursuit of distributive justice. With a nod to both the local church and the global/historical ecumenical endeavour, this paper explores the ways in which, as a people of the now and the not yet, Vineyard churches can take part in 'setting the table'.

Leiden, Brill, 2020

The term mercy is currently omnipresent in Catholic debates. It dominates at events such as the recent Family Synods and the Jubilee Years. At the same time, it poses a significant problem for cases dealing with sexual abuse. Mercy calls to consider an individual's needs and this conflicts with justice necessitating equal treatment for everyone. Mercy applies to the fallible individual deserving of punishment, but who is saved by grace. This is most apparent in the Sacrament of Penance and other forms of penitence, forgiveness, and reconciliation where mercy both transcends and undermines justice. This problem, widely ignored in church teaching, is addressed by Dirk Ansorge, James Dallen, Judith Hahn, Atria A. Larson, Sandra Lassak, Michael A. Nobel, Rosel Oehmen-Vieregge, Heike Springhart, and Gunda Werner.

This paper explores how Dietrich Bonhoeffer's ethical theology reimagines Martin Luther's foundational doctrines, particularly the tension between divine grace and human action. Luther's theology, rooted in Sola Gratia, emphasizes grace as an unmerited gift that liberates the believer from works-based righteousness. While revolutionary, this framework has been critiqued for downplaying ethical responsibility. Bonhoeffer's concept of "costly grace," articulated through his writings and lived resistance to Nazism, reframes grace as a transformative reality that demands discipleship and ethical action. Employing a postmodern lens, the paper deconstructs the interplay between grace and action in Luther and Bonhoeffer's theologies, utilizing insights from Jacques Derrida, John D. Caputo, and Emmanuel Levinas to interrogate the relational and dynamic nature of these concepts. The Protestant Bible serves as a central site of dialogue, where Luther's scriptural exegesis emphasizes liberation, and Bonhoeffer's Christocentric hermeneutics prioritize ethical engagement. Together, they offer a framework that transcends binary categories, integrating grace and action into a cohesive, relational, and open-ended vision of faith. This synthesis inspires a reimagined Lutheran ethical framework for contemporary challenges, including social justice, ecological responsibility, and global solidarity. By embracing complexity and relationality, this paper proposes a theology that harmonizes divine grace with human responsibility, inviting believers to live courageously and ethically in an ever-changing world. The discussion culminates in a consolidated bibliography and recommended readings, providing a rich resource for further exploration of these transformative theological ideas.

Philippiniana Sacra, 2006

To treat of a Christian spirituality of justice is not simply a matter of making an exposition of a doctrine of justice in the Christian tradition. Indeed there is such a teaching on justice in the Judaeo-Christian thought; but a doctrine of justice does not amount to a spirituality of justice. Spirituality, as I shall show, is more than a doctrine. Justice as Virtue Let us begin by recalling that justice has been approached traditionally, for the most part of Christian history, as a moral virtue. What has been customary is to speak of the virtue of justice, not of the spirituality of justice. Much of this approach to justice as a moral virtue can be traced to St. Thomas Aquinas' teaching on justice, especially in his Summa Theologiae,1 which has become a standard reference on the topic for centuries. It is interesting to note that Thomas first treats the theme of justice in his consideration of God's action. God exercises justice when he gives to each one what ought to be given to each according to its nature and condition. "This giving 'what ought to be given' is what God wills for himself and for all his creatures. To do this, whether as rational creature or as God, is to 1 Thomas' main sources include Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics and Cicero's De officiis. His commentary on the first is another important source of his teaching on justice.

ALTHOUGH THE theology of grace has not been an area of great contro-Zìi, versy in recent years, it has been the subject of a considerable amount of writing. In all of this writing there seems to be a certain tendency for each author to go off in a different direction, without much attention to the related efforts of others. It seems opportune, then, to survey the whole field of the theology of grace, to see what has been written of late, to try to discern the general direction in which theological thought is moving, to point out the problems which have arisen as a result of this movement, and to try to foresee the possibilities for future developments. The trend which is apparent in recent writings on grace is toward a theology which can be described as phenomenological, psychological, and personalist. The chief difficulties inherent in this approach seem to be methodological, involving the proper use of "personalist" categories to describe the realities of grace. Of my suggestions for future development, the central one is that we may find in contemporary psychology a model and a vocabulary for a theology of the relationship between God and man.

Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought

This article discusses "grace" with a view to interpreting God as a benefactor (in light of Seneca and ancient patron-client relationships) who bestows favors on the early followers of Christ s. The perspective sheds light on Paul's word to the Corinthians that they should not receive God's grace in vain (2 Cor 6:1), a warning that creates tensions for interpreters who assume that divine grace is freely given without expecting anything in return. This study shows that the system of gift giving and reciprocity, especially in conversation with Seneca, helps alleviate the tensions. It elaborates on gratitude as the proper human response to divine gift giving and undesirable reprisals as the appropriate consequence for ingratitude.

In this paper, I will incorporate the theological and historical aspect of sin and free will by elucidating theological tension between the three parties on early medieval Christianity, 9th century Christianity and the reformation era. Through this historical theological investigation, I will conclude the controversy about sin and human freedom could unifying through appreciative interpretations of grace.

That the Reformation came to provide the sine qua non for Protestant Europe's engagement of culture is made clear by the facts of history. Also clear is that the significance of the Reformer's view of God's all-embracing sovereignty over his creation has over the centuries spawned numerous Protestant views of how, and by what means, the Church is to contribute to the important dialogue over culture. Nowhere was this issue of more importance than in Holland at the turn of the twentieth century, and for some years thereafter. It is here where the doctrine of common grace, and to a large extent its rival the creation mandate of Genesis, were first brought to theological maturity and were passed to succeeding generations. The Theory of God's Common Grace

2018

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see. T"was grace that taught my heart to fear. And grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come; "tis grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home. The Lord has promised good to me. His word my hope secures. He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures. Yea when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease, I shall possess within the veil, a life of joy and peace. When we"ve been there ten thousand years bright shining as the sun. We"ve no less days to sing God"s praise than when we"ve first begun. (Newton, 1779) Despite its age, Newton"s Amazing Grace has not at all lost its vogue and has fittingly become an anthem of Christian churches. Its impact has been monumental, influencing not only church liturgy but also crossing over to secular music. Its classicality and restorative message, however passé its rhythm may be, have catapulted it to become a soulful icon of Christianity. Although it may have been revised and covered by musicians from across different genres in keeping with modern music, and multiple versions have sprung from it, it may be said that its central message remains to be as powerful as when it was first written. Parallel to this, while the doctrine of God"s amazing grace may be preached in different traditions, diverse approaches and dynamic flairs to catch the attention of an audience, its truth and fundamental message ought not to be altered in any way for the mere purpose of pleasing the crowd, its message should not be bent to the whims of human desire, it should not be influenced by what is deemed to be vogue by the changing society, rather, biblical doctrines shall transform humanity. Instead of reshaping the grace doctrine, we ought to allow the truth to shape us so that we may come to the knowledge of who God is. We ought to construe it irrespective of our own prejudices so that it may usher us to that novel purpose in our Christian life. iii This paper is about the amazing grace of God and its cosmic role in the lives of Christians who come to know of its truth. God marks eternity. He never changes, so is His grace to us human beings. It is safe to conclude that God"s grace and its truth is constant in its nature and unchanging in its message despite of the inconstant and fickle penchant of humanity. This study shall aid a potential reader to comprehend the unrelenting debate on the doctrine of grace through a comparative analysis of the different faith-views on the doctrine; its ultimate purpose is for the reader to realize how amazing God"s grace is, then and even now. The grace debate is broad and sporadic; however, this paper generally assumes a debate between two parties, which is merely in fact a component of the debatebetween the Arminians who advocate libertarian human free, which is also the prevailing view in contemporary Christianity; and the Calvinists who advocate compatibilist freedom in the name of God"s sovereignty, which generally describes the belief of traditional Christianity. This paper aims to incite a deeper appreciation of God"s grace, so that it may not be a mere doctrine used meaninglessly as a scapegoat to evade metaphysical punishment. Calvin toiled to present his appreciation of this grace through his many prolific writings. Luther expressed his deep resent against those who refitted the doctrine for greed in his Ninety-five Theses. Paul emphasized on it in his gospel writings and even suffered imprisonment and other kinds of persecutions for the sake of the gospel truth of grace. Ultimately, God"s grace was revealed and demonstrated in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This paper aims at no loftiness than to bring all glory to our God and shift focus on why God had sent His only begotten Son in that specific period in history for the salvation of the past, present, and future generations. It can only be said that Jesus" death on the cross, the grace of God Himself, is our assurance of His love and mercy towards us and the necessary justification for all loose questions in the debate. It may be said that in the quest for the answer to theological inquiry, Jesus Himself is the perfect apologetic.