Zbawienie (gr. σωτηρία, łac. salus), jako rzeczywistość będąca w centrum wiary chrześcijańskiej, ale i wypowiadającej jej sens teologii, oznacza spełnienie ludzkiej egzystencji, otwartej na Boga (capax Dei). Realizuje się ono w dialogu między Bogiem i człowiekiem, między bezwarunkowym darem miłości Boskiej i przyjmującej oraz odpowiadającej na ów dar wolnej natury człowieka. Relacja ta nigdy w tradycji chrześcijańskiej nie była oczywista, o czym świadczą długie spory o rozumienie statusu łaski i wolności, roli Boga i miejsca człowieka w tym procesie. Poczynając od sporu między Augustynem a Pelagiuszem, a kończąc na współczesnych interpretacjach problemu, widzimy w dużym uproszczeniu,jak jedne ujęcia przeceniały wolność kosztem roli łaski, inne zaś chciały pomniejszyć znaczenie wolności, aby ukazać bezwzględność działania Bożego. W artykule została nakreślona panorama tradycyjnych ujęć łaski, a także trzy najbardziej reprezentatywne dla określenia wspomnianej relacji stanowiska: monergizm, synergizm oraz energizm. Ostatnia z propozycji – energizm (jako ujęcie inkluzywne) – mówi o specyfi cznie rozumianej współpracy międzyBogiem i człowiekiem w dziele zbawienia, a mianowicie równoczesności Bożego i ludzkiego działania, w której łaska staje się wyzwalającą siłą ludzkiejwolności. W świetle zasady energizmu, najbardziej dowiedzionej w osobieJezusa Chrystusa, zbawienie posiada charakter osobowy i historyczny, który zakażdym razem domaga się wolnej decyzji każdej ze stron, zgody umotywowanejmiłością, realizowanej w geście perychoretycznej gościnności.
EN
Salvation as a reality that is the centre of both the Christian faith, and a theology that speaks its sense, signifi es the fulfi llment of human existence capable of receiving God (capax Dei). It is realized in a dialogue between God and man, between an unconditional gift of Divine love and man’s free nature that responds to this gift. This relation has never been obvious in the Christian tradition, which is visible in the long-lasting disputes over the understanding of grace and freedom, God’s role and the place of man in the process. Since the times of the dispute between Augustine and Pelagius till the ongoing changes in the interpretations of the problem we have seen simplifi cations which, on the one hand, overestimate freedom and, on the other, wish to undermine the meaning of freedom to show the ruthlessness of God’s actions. In the article a panorama of traditional views on grace has been outlined, as well as the three most representative approaches for the determination of the aforementioned relations: monergism, synergism and energism. The last one, energism (as an inclusive approach), speaks of a specifi cally understood cooperation between God and man in salvation, namely the simultaneousness of God’s and man’sactions, in which grace becomes a releasing force of human freedom. In light of the principle of energism, best proved in the person of Jesus Christ, salvation has a personal andhistorical character, which every time demands a free decision of both sides, an agreemen motivated by love realised in the gesture of perichoretic hospitality.
Salvation as a reality that is the centre of both the Christian faith, and a theology that speaks its sense, signifies the fulfillment of human existence capable of receiving God (capax Dei). It is realized in a dialogue between God and man, between an unconditional gift of Divine love and man’s free nature that responds to this gift. This relation has never been obvious in the Christian tradition, which is visible in the long-lasting disputes over the understanding of grace and freedom, God’s role and the place of man in the process. Since the times of the dispute between Augustine and Pelagius till the ongoing changes in the interpretations of the problem we have seen simplifications which, on the one hand, overestimate freedom and, on the other, wish to undermine the meaning of freedom to show the truthlessness of God’s actions. In the article a panorama of traditional views on grace has been outlined, as well as the three most representative approaches for the determination of the aforementioned relations: monergism, synergism and energism. The last one, energism (as an inclusive approach), speaks of a specifically understood cooperation between God and man in salvation, namely the simultaneousness of God’s and man’s actions, in which grace becomes a releasing force of human freedom. In light of the principle of energism, best proved in the person of Jesus Christ, salvation has a personal and historical character, which every time demands a free decision of both sides, an agreement motivated by love realised in the gesture of perichoretic hospitality.
PL
Zbawienie (gr. σωτηρία, łac. salus), jako rzeczywistość będąca w centrum wiary chrześcijańskiej, ale i wypowiadającej jej sens teologii, oznacza spełnienie ludzkiej egzystencji, otwartej na Boga (capax Dei). Realizuje się ono w dialogu między Bogiem i człowiekiem, między bezwarunkowym darem miłości Boskiej i przyjmującej oraz odpowiadającej na ów dar wolnej natury człowieka. Relacja ta nigdy w tradycji chrześcijańskiej nie była oczywista, o czym świadczą długie spory o rozumienie statusu łaski i wolności, roli Boga i miejsca człowieka w tym procesie. Poczynając od sporu między Augustynem a Pelagiuszem, a kończąc na współczesnych interpretacjach problemu, widzimy w dużym uproszczeniu, jak jedne ujęcia przeceniały wolność kosztem roli łaski, inne zaś chciały pomniejszyć znaczenie wolności, aby ukazać bezwzględność działania Bożego. W artykule została nakreślona panorama tradycyjnych ujęć łaski, a także trzy najbardziej reprezentatywne dla nakreślenia wspomnianej relacji stanowiska: monergizm, synergizm oraz energizm. Ostatnia z propozycji – energizm (jako ujęcie inkluzywne) – mówi o specyficznie rozumianej współpracy między Bogiem i człowiekiem w dziele zbawienia, a mianowicie równoczesności Bożego i ludzkiego działania, w której łaska staje się wyzwalającą siłą ludzkiej wolności. W świetle zasady energizmu, najbardziej dowiedzionej w osobie Jezusa Chrystusa, zbawienie posiada charakter osobowy i historyczny, który za każdym razem domaga się wolnej decyzji każdej ze stron, zgody umotywowanej miłością, realizowanej w geście perychoretycznej gościnności.
The problem of the „beginning of faith” (initium fidei) was among those which vividly captured the attention of theologians at the beginning of the 5th century, particularly in the wider context of the controversy concerning the relationship between free will and God’s grace in the work of salvation. Generally it is assumed that John Cassian, concerned, on the one hand, to show the Pelagians the necessity of grace and the radical Augustinians, on the other, the need for cooperation with the work of divine grace, failed to avoid errors which would subsequently be referred to as semi-pelagianism. With regard to the „beginning of faith”, his error is supposed to consist in the fact that the salvific initiative could derive from man. This view, however, derives from an over simplification of the thought of the Abbot of St. Victor: not only because most of his comments underline the necessity for grace in order for faith to begin in man (theological argument), but also because even in his rare „semipelagian” affirmations Cassian speaks of scintilla of good will in man, without however calling this the moment of faith strictly understood (philological argument). Above all, however, it is forgotten that for Cassian, who was educated in the spirit of oriental theology, salvation is simultaneously divine and human and lacks any form of „arithmetical” parity between God and man, which would make man an equal partner with God in the work of salvation. For Cassian, everything concerning the primacy of God in salvation is beyond question and human efforts are nothing other than the response expected by the Divine Pedagogue of His pupils as He leads them along the path of salvation, from the initium fidei to its end.
According to the Holy Bible, God gives us unceasingly his grace in order to liberate humanity from sin and death. One of the most fundamental Christistian beliefs – which expresses the absolute primacy of God’s salvific will – says that God’s grace is necessary for salvation. The doctrine of divine grace was the main topic of the theological discussion between St. Augustine and Pelagius. The Augustinian doctrine presented clear opposition between the omnipotence of God’s grace and the weakness of the sinner. Augustine’s teachings prevailed in the Catholic doctine, although without its extremities. Meanwhile in the East, the Pelagian controversy was not understood and the Augustine’s doctrine of divine grace was not accepted. The Eastern theology speaks of synergism as a divine-human salvific cooperation. Is this not a Pelagian denial of the absolute salvific primacy of God? To answer this question, the article seeks the notion of divine grace in the doctrine of the Orthodox Church. The concept of God’s grace is in this doctrine associated with the concept of deification (theosis). Essentially, God’s grace is the same as God’s uncreated energies. It is some kind of active presence of the Holy Trinity in the world. Its manifestations are the sacraments of the Church. Its aim is the final fulfillment of human destiny and of the world. Man’s free will is also an important gift of grace. God’s salvific action toward mankind leads to theosis which is the purpose of human life. It is achievable only through a synergy (cooperation) between human will and God’s uncreated energies. The omnipotence of God’s grace does not destroy human freedom, because freedom of the human will itself is a God’s gift. The Orthodox doctrine of synergism, however, does not distinguish clearly God’s grace and human freedom. Man’s salvation is possible through the cooperation of grace and freedom, although ultimately divine Providence leads mankind to eternal fulfillment. There are still some important doctrinal differences between Catholic and Orthodox theologies. The Eastern thought emphasises the deification of man and the ultimate goal of the human life. The Catholic doctrine is more practical: it seeks the way of salvation for a sinner. However, it does not mean that these two concepts are totally incompatible. They both are based on the main Christian idea of God’s love toward mankind. The most important expression of this redemptive and salvific love is Christ’s Cross and Resurrection.
According to the Holy Bible, God gives us unceasingly his grace in order to liberate humanity from sin and death. One of the most fundamental Christistian beliefs – which expresses the absolute primacy of God’s salvific will – says that God’s grace is necessary for salvation. The doctrine of divine grace was the main topic of the theological discussion between St. Augustine and Pelagius. The Augustinian doctrine presented clear opposition between the omnipotence of God’s grace and the weakness of the sinner. Augustine’s teachings prevailed in the Catholic doctine, although without its extremities. Meanwhile in the East, the Pelagian controversy was not understood and the Augustine’s doctrine of divine grace was not accepted. The Eastern theology speaks of synergism as a divine-human salvific cooperation. Is this not a Pelagian denial of the absolute salvific primacy of God? To answer this question, the article seeks the notion of divine grace in the doctrine of the Orthodox Church. The concept of God’s grace is in this doctrine associated with the concept of deification (theosis). Essentially, God’s grace is the same as God’s uncreated energies. It is some kind of active presence of the Holy Trinity in the world. Its manifestations are the sacraments of the Church. Its aim is the final fulfillment of human destiny and of the world. Man’s free will is also an important gift of grace. God’s salvific action toward mankind leads to theosis which is the purpose of human life. It is achievable only through a synergy (cooperation) between human will and God’s uncreated energies. The omnipotence of God’s grace does not destroy human freedom, because freedom of the human will itself is a God’s gift. The Orthodox doctrine of synergism, however, does not distinguish clearly God’s grace and human freedom. Man’s salvation is possible through the cooperation of grace and freedom, although ultimately divine Providence leads mankind to eternal fulfillment. There are still some important doctrinal differences between Catholic and Orthodox theologies. The Eastern thought emphasises the deification of man and the ultimate goal of the human life. The Catholic doctrine is more practical: it seeks the way of salvation for a sinner. However, it does not mean that these two concepts are totally incompatible. They both are based on the main Christian idea of God’s love toward mankind. The most important expression of this redemptive and salvific love is Christ’s Cross and Resurrection.