Similarities Between Augustine And Luther

Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings. There are four theologians I would like to discuss that share their own understandings of grace. These theologians include Augustine, Aquinas, Luther and Rahner. There are many similarities and differences among the theologians I have listed. First of all, Augustine was born in 354 A.D. in Africa and did not originally start out as a Christian. He eventually converted to Christianity and was known for his controversy with Pelagius Thinking. Augustine felt his theology of grace was linked to his personal experiences. He believed grace released one from internal bondage to sin. He also believed that the Fall of Adam and Eve affected everyone and therefore, everyone was dammed. Augustine stated that Grace repairs nature and it liberates nature from a vile state. He was a sinner …show more content…
He believed that he could not cease being a sinner and every sin was just as serious as the next. He founded Lutheranism and believed that God was a merciful God and would deliver him from any evil. Luther confessed his sins seven times a day and suffered from Scruples where his only hope lied in the grace of God. Grace for Luther meant a favor of a merciful God and that grace is opposed to sin. A human person should stand before God in sinfulness and the more a person experiences his unworthiness, the more he is able to experience true grace. He also believed that one is only justified through God’s saving action and grace cannot be merited. Grace is undeserved and manifests God’s benevolence toward humankind. This relates to Augustine, who also felt that sin was the leeway into grace. Overall, Luther believed that the suffering of Christ revealed true love of God and in staying close to the cross; we let ourselves be part of the most fulfilled life of