What is man? Lessons in philosophical and theological anthropology. Digitized in 2009 from the analog original, recorded in 2000. 10th lesson: Theology of grace Juan Luis Lorda. Full Professor of Systematic Theology and Theological Anthropology, Faculty of Theology, University of Navarra. Content: A very broad topic, this presentation will be reduced to the basics. Word that appears in the Acts of the Apostles in a similar sense to the current one: gifts and benefits of God. Saint Paul uses it more than 100 times. Grace: all the free gifts of salvation. The Greek word: free gift of authority. This term is taken to apply it to the gifts of salvation: the mystery of Christ, God's forgiveness and other gifts of God. This polysemy makes the word grace mean different things in the Protestant, Eastern and Western traditions. Protestant: God's forgiveness. Eastern: the strength that comes from God. Westerners: interior imprint, sanctifying grace. Catholic and Orthodox traditions are compatible. Protestantism, only to the extent that it does not deny the interior effect caused by the Holy Spirit. The word grace is not used so much in the Gospels, but the gifts of God do appear a lot. Episode of the Samaritan woman, preaching of the Feast of Tabernacles, both with reference to the gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit is made complete at Pentecost, and constitutes the Church; it is the invisible part of the Church. It is received by the Church and by each Christian; in the latter, it is the gift of God. Once God forgives us, he gives us the Holy Spirit that sanctifies us. This gift identifies him with Christ, unites him to the Church, the body of Christ, gives him the beginning of a new life, is a pledge of resurrection and allows us to call God Father. The Holy Spirit is uncreated grace. The gift, because it is received, is called created (but it is not something made, it is a participation of God himself). The development of divinization in patristic theology. In Orthodox theology, this crystallizes in the idea of ​​a participation in God, a divine energy, which divinizes us. We have received from God the gift of the Holy Spirit, Lord and giver of life, a sanctifying spirit that sanctifies us. In Western Catholic theology, it develops in a different way. St. Augustine and the controversy with Pelagius. St. Augustine realizes that Pelagius was too naturalistic: he asked the Christian to fight, to make an effort, but without taking into account the gift of God. Pelagius only considers our nature to be a gift of God. St. Augustine: we must pray in order not to sin; God must rectify our will, twisted by sin. The Holy Spirit inspires the taste for goodness concerning salvation. This idea will give rise to that of actual grace: God's help in human action in the form of inspirations and motions. He helps to begin, continue and finish acts. St. Thomas summarizes and systematizes this scholastic doctrine of grace and relates it to the Aristotelian categories. His approach allows him to systematize the doctrine of virtues, and also that of grace. What is grace? (Summa Theologiae, I-II, q. 110). If it puts something in the soul. The love of God gives being; but there is also a special love of God that gives a participation in divine life. In the same way that creative love gives being, this special love gives grace. If it is a quality. Grace is not a thing, it is a quality, condition or elevation. If it is a virtue. Virtues are operative qualities. If there is a supernatural action, which is given by grace, grace is a supernatural virtue. Grace is an elevation of nature that allows the new action of supernatural virtues. If it is in the essence of the soul. Yes, because it is a new way of being, participating in divine nature, which allows a new way of acting. Summary of the exposition: Grace is a personal gift of God, which unites us to Him through the action of the Holy Spirit. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, it is the fruit of God's special love for men, which is given to us through the communication of the Holy Spirit. According to St. Augustine, there is also a help from God in our actions. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, the charisms, etc. remain to be dealt with. Bibliography Catechism of the Catholic Church, nn. 1987-2029. St. Augustine. De natura et gratia. Vol. VI of the Complete Works, BAC. St. Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologiae, I-II, qq. 109-114. JF Pozo. The life of grace. Rialp, Madrid 1998 (5th). JA Sayés. The grace of Christ. BAC, Madrid 1993. Ch. Baumgartner. The grace of Christ. BAC, Barcelona 1992. G. Philips. Indwelling and grace. Trinitarian Secretariat, Salamanca 1980. B. Sesboue. History of dogmas II. Trinitarian Secretariat, Salamanca 1996. F. Ocáriz. Nature, grace, glory. Eunsa, Pamplona 2000.