EXISTING TRENDS ON JUSTIFICATION FOR GRACE ALONE AS THE DOGMA IN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

Abstract

The point of departure for this study is to reassess the divergences in the theology of grace to determine its authenticity in theological spaces. Historically, the concept of grace has been explored and expounded upon by numerous theologians. Early Church Fathers, such as Augustine, emphasized grace as essential for salvation and spiritual growth. During the Reformation, Martin Luther and John Calvin further articulated the doctrine of grace, highlighting its role in justification by faith alone, apart from works. This theological development was critical in shaping Protestant theology and distinguishing it from Catholic teachings on grace and works. The concept of grace and its relation to individual salvation is undoubtedly the most debated issue in the history of Christian thought. The index of combatants is practically a Who's Who in Christian thought: Augustine versus Pelagius, Banez versus Molina, Luther versus Erasmus, Calvin versus Pighius, and Whitefield versus Whitely. These arguments have continuously positioned on the same issue: whether God's saving grace is attuned to human freedom. Deliberations of grace in Mormon thought are too frequently carried out in virtually complete inexperience of the progression of Christian thought on this subject. The misconstructions about grace are wide-ranging and so huge that it has turned out to be hard to draw a line of distinction between truth and deviation. Some of such fallacies are divergences in grace. Hence, when somebody affirms to have received the grace of God, as a believer, and his/her life does not echo Christ and his teaching overtly, the legitimacy of such a person’s practice is debatable. In so doing, most professing Christians are not living up to God’s standard and anticipation of fellow believers, some signs of limited understanding or erroneous outset of the grace that brings salvation are blamable for this melancholy. This study is undertaken to set the records straight. The researcher chose Karl Rahner’s transcendental method for the analytical interpretation of grace. The approach uses the principle of Anthropological and theological understanding