Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction Chapter 14 The Doctrines of Human Nature, Sin, and Grace Wiley-Blackwell 2010

The Place of Humanity Within Creation: Early Reflections The image of God –Genesis 1:27, the imago Dei –Distinction between the image of God and the likeness of God Tertullian Origen –The image of God as the rational human faculty Augustine –The dignity of human nature Lactantius –The doctrine of redemption –Men and women as images of God The concept of sin –Augustine and original sin –Greek patristic tradition Wiley-Blackwell 2010

Augustine of Hippo and the Pelagian Controversy The “freedom of the will” –Augustine Natural human freedom affirmed Human free will weakened and incapacitated through sin –Pelagius Total freedom and total responsibility Perfection is possible and obligatory The nature of sin –Augustine Sin as disease Sin as a power Sin as (judicial) guilt, passed down through the generations Wiley-Blackwell 2010

The nature of grace –Augustine God’s generous, unmerited, and necessary gift –Pelagius Natural God-given faculties of reason and will Commandments and teaching The basis of salvation –Augustine: the divine promise of grace –Pelagius: good works as fulfillment of obligation Wiley-Blackwell 2010

The Medieval Synthesis of the Doctrine of Grace The Augustinian legacy –Grace as a liberating force –Grace as the healer of human nature –Functions of grace Prevenient grace Operative grace Cooperative grace The medieval distinction between actual and habitual grace –Actual grace –Habitual grace The late medieval critique of habitual grace –William of Ockham The medieval debate over the nature and grounds of merit –Intellectualism: Aquinas –Voluntarism: William of Ockham Wiley-Blackwell 2010

The Reformation Debates Over the Doctrine of Grace From “salvation by grace” to “justification by faith” Martin Luther’s theological breakthrough –The righteousness of God Luther on justifying faith –Faith is not simply historical knowledge –Faith is to be understood as “trust” –Faith unites the believer with Christ The concept of forensic justification –Alien righteousness –A believer is “at one and the same time righteous and a sinner” –Philip Melanchthon Justification split from sanctification/regeneration Wiley-Blackwell 2010

John Calvin on justification –Double grace The believer’s union with Christ leads to her justification The believer’s union with Christ begins the process of regeneration The Council of Trent on justification –The nature of justification –The nature of justifying righteousness –The nature of justifying faith –The assurance of salvation Wiley-Blackwell 2010

The Doctrine of Predestination Augustine of Hippo –God must be free to give or withhold the gift of grace –Godelasc of Orbais: double predestination Catholic debates: Thomism, Molinism, and Jansenism –Aquinas –Molinist school –Jansenists Protestant debates: Calvinism and Arminianism –John Calvin –Five Point Calvinism Total depravity of human nature Unconditional election Limited atonement Irresistible grace Perseverance of the saints Wiley-Blackwell 2010

–Decrees of election Infralapsarian Supralapsarian –Jakob Arminius ( ) Christ died for all Corporate predestination Karl Barth –Central affirmations Jesus Christ is the electing God Jesus Christ is the elected human being –Concept of election God has chosen to enter into fellowship with humanity Christ is the demonstration of that commitment God elected to bear all the pain and cost of redemption God rejects Christ so that humanity might not be rejected Predestination and economics: the Weber thesis –Need for signs of certainty of election: good works –A new spirit of modern capitalism Wiley-Blackwell 2010

The Darwinian Controversy and the Nature of Humanity The challenge of Darwin –Origin of Species (1859) –The Descent of Man (1871) Young earth creationism Old earth creationism –Reinterpretation of Hebrew word yom (day) –Gap between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 Intelligent design –Biological evolution and intentional creation Evolutionary theism –Roots in Augustine Wiley-Blackwell 2010