Divine Grace
Grace is a central component of reason. Without it, reason cannot happen.
First, Reason As Intellectualism’s Vanishing Point
On Quora, I was asked why philosophers think other philosophers talk nonsense.
To answer the question, I first asked another question to the philosophical community. I asked them to explain reason. Maybe not so surprisingly, they all maintained different definitions/explanations. Not one was the same. See the post above. But this is why the philosophical community sees philosophical concepts differently. They define reason differently. Whereas define reason consistently, and the various and interesting ideas of history’s philosophers converge. This is why a proper definition of reason places reason at intellectualism’s vanishing point.
What about faith? Does it converge with Reason?
I discovered that it does, specifically grace.
Faith’s definition of Grace:
Divine grace is a theological term present in many religions. It has been defined as the divine influence which operates in humans to regenerate and sanctify, to inspire virtuous impulses, and to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptation; and as an individual virtue or excellence of divine origin.
Christianity: Grace in Christianity is the free and unmerited favour of God as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowing of blessings.
Hinduism: Hindu devotional or bhakti literature available throughout India and Nepal is replete with references to grace (kripa) as the ultimate key required for spiritual self-realization.
Buddhism: While many schools of Buddhism emphasize self-discipline and effort as the path to enlightenment, something akin to the concept of divine grace is present as well.
In Judaism, divine grace is an attribute of the God of Israel that signifies his chesed (loving-kindness and mercy) for his chosen people and his compassion for sinners, the weak, and the less fortunate.
Islam: Salafi scholar Umar Sulayman al-Ashqar, dean of the Faculty of Islamic Law at Zarqa Private University in Zarqa, Jordan, wrote that “Paradise is something of immense value; a person cannot earn it by virtue of his deeds alone, but by the Grace and Mercy of Allah.”
Divine grace – Wikipedia
Wikipedia thinks there’s enough agreement in faith to produce a single entry on Divine Grace. Still, you would not be alone if you believed Grace might not be the same for each faith in light of the above associated faith-specific definitions.
At the core, however, I think they are the same reassuringly. I suggest that, like reason, Divine Grace exists because it is intuitive to the members of all faiths, just as reason is intuitive across all of humanity.
A simple reason-based definition for “Divine Grace”
Bringing forward my visual representation of truth.
Referring to quadrant three above.
You enjoy Divine Grace …
- So long as …
- One recognizes that there is absolute truth, and they act purposely to pursue and understand it; and –
- You humbly accept that no human can claim to KNOW absolute truth, only the creator can;
- Accordingly, you are forgiven for your human (and thus unavoidable) misunderstandings of absolute truth;
Note specifically, the pursuit of absolute truth is the pursuit of the sufficient condition (read more here: How do I know the truth?). It is impossible to prove truth because there is always the “unknown” hypotheses. As such, one can only disprove false hypotheses until a sole surviving hypothesis remains. This is objective truth. Consequently, this process cannot be corrupted by the SELF.
With this said, now consider Wikipedia’s summarising first paragraph:
Divine grace is a theological term present in many religions. It has been defined as the divine influence which operates in humans to regenerate and sanctify, to inspire virtuous impulses, and to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptation; and as an individual virtue or excellence of divine origin.
Divine grace – Wikipedia
I see absolute truth as divine inspiration, and reason does indeed regenerate and sanctify. And while absolute truth does not necessarily impart strength for the trials of the pursuit of truth, a belief that it may be the creator’s truth (the perfect truth) can. Also, the process of reason is incorruptible and will produce truths that will likely inspire virtuous impulses.
The Christian contribution for the definition of Divine Grace is also very helpful.
Grace, in Christian theology, the spontaneous, unmerited gift of the divine favour in the salvation of sinners, and the divine influence operating in individuals for their regeneration and sanctification.
Grace – Britannica
You see, Divine Grace is acquired not by knowing absolute truth, but by authentically seeking it (i.e., unmerited) in humility before the creator.
Note I argue that sin is not what burdens humans but, instead, irrationality.
