This unit covers how God saves and transforms a person from within, and how that fits with human freedom. Religion classes rarely reach this material, and it is the most complete tract on this site.
Lessons
| Lesson | Big question |
|---|---|
| 8.1 Nature and grace | Can’t a good person get to heaven by being good? |
| 8.2 Grace and freedom | If grace does it, am I free? |
| 8.3 Justification | What happens when I am “saved”? |
| 8.4 Merit | Do Catholics think we earn heaven? |
The lessons in this unit are being written. Until they are ready, the readings below cover the same ground in more depth.
Philosophy you will need
Nature and the supernatural (Unit 4); habits and virtues from the philosophy course’s Ethics branch explain grace as a “habit” of the soul.
Watch out for
Catholics do not believe in earning salvation by unaided effort. How grace and freedom fit together is a legitimate open question, not a settled one.