The Concept of Grace in Christian Thought

Abstract

THE CONCEPT OF GRACE and its relation to individual salvation is probably the most debated issue in the history of Christian thought. The list of combatants is virtually a Who's Who in Christian thought: Augustine versus Pelagius, Banez versus Molina, Luther versus Erasmus, Calvin versus Pighius, and Whitefield versus Whitely. These debates have always centered on the same issue: whether God's saving grace is compatible with human freedom. Discussions of grace in Mormon thought are too often carried out in almost complete ignorance of the evolution of Christian thought on this topic.