Earning, Deserving, and the Catechism's Understanding of Grace
2009; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 91; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
2163-6214
Autores Tópico(s)Medieval Philosophy and Theology
ResumoGrace is God's favor towards us, and So says the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer's Catechism (and a long theological tradition). This statement has two possible interpretations. On the one hand, if the Catechism means to equate the terms unearned and then it blurs an important distinction. and are not univocal concepts. On the other hand, if the Catechism means to distinguish the terms, then it is mistaken in affirming both as features of saving grace. While creating grace (the action of brings us into existence as spiritual beings meant for union with God) is both and undeserved, saving grace (the action of restores human beings from sin to actual friendship with God) is but not undeserved. are human beings, the psalmist asks God, that you are mindful of them, mortals you care for them? (Psalm 8:4). Kris Kristofferson, in a popular 1970s song, asks a similar question: Why me, Lord? What have I ever done to deserve even one of the pleasures I've known? The answer, in theological language, is grace. Grace is God's favor towards us, and undeserved.1 So says the 1979 Book of 'Common Prayer's Outline of the Faith, commonly called the Catechism. This definition is standard; across the theological spectrum grace is understood in this way.2 According to the Catechism's formula, grace is, most basically, God's favor or goodwill toward us. By this grace God forgives our sins, enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts, and strengthens our wills. This favor is described by two adjectives - and - both of which are affirmed as true features of grace. In this paper I argue the Catechism, and the theological tradition it follows, is right to describe saving grace as unearned, but wrong to define it as undeserved. By equating the terms unearned and the tradition mistakenly characterizes saving grace and risks drawing some faulty conclusions about the nature of salvation.3 Clarifying Concepts Clear thinking requires words be carefully defined. Without accurate and precise understandings of concepts, we cannot reason well. So I begin by defining some terms. Distinguishing unearned and undeserved According to Webster, to deserve is to merit, be worthy of, be qualified for, or have a claim to something because of one's acts, qualities, or situation.4 It involves three elements.5 First, there is a deserving subject - a person who is deserving. Second, there is a deserved object - something (a burden or benefit) is deserved, it is appropriate for the subject to have. The deserved object includes both what is deserved and from whom. Third, there is a desert basis - a fact about the subject, such as an action or attribute, on account of which the subject is deserving of the object. This three-part relation between subject, object, and basis can be expressed in the following formula: A deserves x in virtue of y. The smart student deserves a good grade from the professor because of her high performance on the test. The drowning swimmer deserves rescue from the passing boater because of his intrinsic value as a person. There are two distinct considerations ground personal desert. Performing certain actions is one desert basis. This is what earning is - deserving to get something in return for an action one did. Employees earn wages for their labor, students earn grades by their learning, and athletes earn medals for their victories. They each did something to merit receiving compensation in quid pro quo, this for that, fashion. Earning fits the elements of desert: there is a subject (a worker, for example), an object (wages), and a basis (labor). Earned benefits are thus deserved benefits. If person A earns item x, then A deserves x. But the reverse does not hold true: it is not necessarily the case if A deserves x, then A earns x. …
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