Sanctifying Grace in a “Methodical Theology”

Abstract

Bernard Lonergan claimed that his description of religious experience as “being in love unrestrictedly” differs merely notionally from the Scholastic idea of “sanctifying grace.” However, he did not offer the detailed explanation needed to establish the continuity between his development and the medieval category of “sanctifying grace.” His account of religious experience, therefore, remains ambiguous. Consequently, notable Lonergan scholars have explained the meaning of religious experience differently for a methodical theology. After discussing their explanations, the author offers his own account of “unrestricted being in love” according to the critical directives of the Scholastic categories.