WHAT IS GRACE?
Among the mysteries of Catholicism, none is more practically important than the doctrine of grace. It is at the very heart of Christianity because it describes the panorama of God's dealings with mankind. However, the doctrine of grace is not simple, as may be seen from the sequence of errors in the understanding of grace seen along the path of the Church's history. In History and Theology of Grace, Fr Hardon provides:
-a rich and detailed summary of the Church's understanding of Grace,
-a well-ordered historical account of how the Church's understanding of grace developed,
-an overview of the heresies on the doctrine of grace That have emerged throughout Church history, and -an explanation of how the theology of grace impacts every aspect of Christian religion.
Fr. Hardon reminds all Catholics of the integral role grace plays in our daily lives and how a clear grasp of the basic principles of grace is useful, and may at times be indispensable, for directing oneself and others on the road to salvation.
John A, Hardon, SJ received a master's degree in philosophy from Loyola University and a doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome. He taught at the Jesuit School of Theology at Loyola University in Chicago and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Catholic Doctrine at St. John's University in New York. He organized the Marian Catechists, whose purpose is to promote the solid teaching of the Roman Catholic faith to the laity. He wrote and published more than 50 books, including "Catholic Catechism," "Modern Catholic Dictionary," "Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan," and "With Us Today, on the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist."
