Uncreated Grace—A Critique of Karl Rahner

UNCREATED GRACE-A CRITIQUE OF KARL RAHNER MAN speaks God's word in human terms. This is the burden of theology, on one hand an imprint of the divine science itself, on the other a habit and act resident within and elicited by the human intelligence so that it cannot but take upon itself the conditions of the subject wherein alone it exists. Its task is the formulation in human terms of Unalterable Truth with all the inexactitude and mere approximation imposed by the very ineffability of what must always remain mystery. This is what necessitates that the theologian be open to history (without succumbing to the relativism of historicity), that his act be in the nature of a dialogue with other theologians, that theological system not become sectarianism. This is said somewhat by way of an apology, in these days of welcome emphasis on unity and the exploration of positive meaning, for what might otherwise appear as an overly negative theological venture. These reflections upon one view of the influential Jesuit, Karl Rahner, are presented neither as a mere polemic nor in the spirit of an astringent negativism. Rather, they contain an implicit acknowledgement that perhaps his efforts have opened up a whole new direction to theological speculation on grace, justification, glory, the Incarnation, and the supernatural. And if this be so the contemporary theologian can hardly fail to pursue his richly suggestive line of investigation. However, at the very outset assurance is needed that we do indeed have here an authentic and enriching originality giving new dimensions to our knowledge. Mere innovation, after all, departing from that point of achievement at which theological speculation has already arrived, holds no such promise and indeed may end in impov333 334 WILLIAM J. HILL erishment of the truth. What these pages ask then is whether such assurance, increasingly taken for granted, be warranted. I. ExPosiTION: RAHNER's THEORY oN UNcREATED GRACE 1. The Thesis In his one major work thus far translated into English/ Karl Rahner presents in the Tenth Chapter his teaching on uncreated grace-a doctrine that already has found many and ardent supporters. Put most simply it is an opinion which sees man's justification as formally constituted by the very presence of divinity to the soul. Sanctity is realized in a seizure and possession of the soul by the personal Spirit of God. Created habitual grace and the other infused gifts of God which energize the soul, though indispensable, are consequences of this prior uncreated grace. The Council of Trent in strong reaction against the extrinsic imputation theories deriving from Protestantism insisted upon the reality of created grace as an effect of God's causal love. It nowise intended to obscure this primary and profounder element in the total grace state. What is meant here is not the presence of the divine Substance to the soul merely as supernatural agent in the causing of grace. To avoid this misunderstanding Rahner notes with approval the notion of Martinez-Gomez to the effect that, "a logical (not temporal) priority (over) created grace should be ascribed to uncreated grace (as given, not just as to be given or as cau8ing grace):" 2 Neither is this a reiteration of the position which conceives of God as giving Himself to the soul as immanent term of its supernatural knowledge and love; a presence " sicut cognitum in cognoscente, sicut amatum in amante " in the classical expression of St. Thomas.3 It is not 1 Karl Rahner, S. J., Theological Investigations, Vol. I, God, Christ, Mary and Grace. A translation by Cornelius Ernst, 0. P., Helicon Press (Baltimore) and Parton , Longman, and Todd (London), 1961, of Schriften Zur Theologie, I. 2 P. 8~8, footnote no. 5; italics m·e those of Fr. Rahner. • Summa Theol., I. q. 48, a. 8. UNCREATED GRACE-A CRITIQUE OF KARL HAHNER 335 created grace which in its deepest reachings is formally causative of this union with divinity. Rather it is uncreated grace which calls the latter into being much as a form introduces an ultimate disposition towards itself in the matter to which it is united. How then are we to conceive of this conjunction of God...