Thomas Aquinas on Grace as a Mysterious Kind of Creature

Elliot Polsky
2021 Studia Gilsoniana  
Although the question of whether, in the thought of Thomas Aquinas, sanctifying grace is "created" or "uncreated" has received considerable attention in the last several decades, many of the questions and arguments proposed by those, such as Karl Rahner, Jerome Ebacher, and Anna N. Williams, in favor of grace being uncreated have gone unanswered. Among these ancillary questions and arguments are those concerning the proper subject of grace, the categorial classification of grace, and the reason
more » ... for the mystery and unconsciousness of grace. These questions appear unrelated, but, as this paper argues, they are each logically connected to each other and to the overall thesis that sanctifying grace is created, not uncreated. This paper aims to make Aquinas's thesis that grace is created more palatable to objectors by addressing each of these previously unaddressed ancillary questions.
doi:10.26385/sg.100322 doaj:cbff1b4fc2ed457ca8bbffa3c553c32a fatcat:qihxi23lzjcslkpgbpb6idgl3m