Skip to main content
minor grammatical corrections
Source Link
GratefulDisciple
  • 25.6k
  • 5
  • 37
  • 117

The significant difference comes when you include gnomic disposition developed from Greek theology. St. Maximos the Confessor expanded concupiscence to be a property of our human personhood. It's a desire of will. Apart from grace this desire is predisposed away from God. This disposition of will missed the mark (in Hebrew hamartiahamartia). This is why St. James said once the desire is conceived it will give birth to sin. In itself desire is not sinful. You can view gnomic/concupiscence as a vector. It missed the mark and point to something else other than to please God. Grace is like magnet it aligns our desire to the target. This is why according to St. Thomas Aquinas, grace perfectedperfects nature. Grace transformedtransforms our dispositional desire towards what pleases God. This is an indispensable soteriological concept for Catholic and Orthodox. Some Eastern Orthodox might argue that St. Maximos' gnomic disposition is entirely different than Augustine's concupiscence. But in Eastern ritesrite Catholicism, we see these as two distinguishable explanations describing the same underlying soteriological concept.

The significant difference comes when you include gnomic disposition developed from Greek theology. St. Maximos the Confessor expanded concupiscence to be a property of our human personhood. It's a desire of will. Apart from grace this desire is predisposed away from God. This disposition of will missed the mark (in Hebrew hamartia). This is why St. James said once the desire is conceived it will give birth to sin. In itself not sinful. You can view gnomic/concupiscence as a vector. It missed the mark and point to something else other than to please God. Grace is like magnet it aligns our desire to the target. This is why according to St. Thomas Aquinas, grace perfected nature. Grace transformed our dispositional desire towards what pleases God. This is an indispensable soteriological concept for Catholic and Orthodox. Some Eastern Orthodox might argue that Maximos' gnomic disposition is entirely different than Augustine's concupiscence. But in Eastern rites Catholicism, we see these as two distinguishable explanations describing the same underlying soteriological concept.

The significant difference comes when you include gnomic disposition developed from Greek theology. St. Maximos the Confessor expanded concupiscence to be a property of our human personhood. It's a desire of will. Apart from grace this desire is predisposed away from God. This disposition of will missed the mark (in Hebrew hamartia). This is why St. James said once the desire is conceived it will give birth to sin. In itself desire is not sinful. You can view gnomic/concupiscence as a vector. It missed the mark and point to something else other than to please God. Grace is like magnet it aligns our desire to the target. This is why according to St. Thomas Aquinas, grace perfects nature. Grace transforms our dispositional desire towards what pleases God. This is an indispensable soteriological concept for Catholic and Orthodox. Some Eastern Orthodox might argue that St. Maximos' gnomic disposition is entirely different than Augustine's concupiscence. But in Eastern rite Catholicism, we see these as two distinguishable explanations describing the same underlying soteriological concept.

Source Link
Adithia Kusno
  • 1.4k
  • 1
  • 10
  • 36

The significant difference comes when you include gnomic disposition developed from Greek theology. St. Maximos the Confessor expanded concupiscence to be a property of our human personhood. It's a desire of will. Apart from grace this desire is predisposed away from God. This disposition of will missed the mark (in Hebrew hamartia). This is why St. James said once the desire is conceived it will give birth to sin. In itself not sinful. You can view gnomic/concupiscence as a vector. It missed the mark and point to something else other than to please God. Grace is like magnet it aligns our desire to the target. This is why according to St. Thomas Aquinas, grace perfected nature. Grace transformed our dispositional desire towards what pleases God. This is an indispensable soteriological concept for Catholic and Orthodox. Some Eastern Orthodox might argue that Maximos' gnomic disposition is entirely different than Augustine's concupiscence. But in Eastern rites Catholicism, we see these as two distinguishable explanations describing the same underlying soteriological concept.