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Entry: Postmodern, Not Hypermodern: Russell Kirk Link: http://www.takimag.com/site/article/postmodern_not_hypermodern_russell_kirk#14156 Post contents: <i>Protestants argue that the path to salvation lies through faith and one’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Catholics, by contrast, stress the importance of good works as the path to salvation.</i> Nope. True this is a popular misunderstanding. Let's clear it up from the Catholic perspective. Catholics (and for that matter Jews) do NOT believe in works righteousness. Catholics are not Pelagian or Semipelagian (however much certain Reformed statements might claim). First this Catholic distinction: merit <i>de jure</i> and merit <i>de gratia</i>. Merit <i>de jure</i>: if you and I agree that I'll mow your lawn for 5 dollars, and I mow it, then <i>de jure</i> I merit 5 dollars. No Catholic believes that with God one merits this way. Merit <i>de gratia</i>: One of the gifts of Grace is the ability to move forward in one's salvation by good works. The ability to perform these good works and the actual performance of these good works comes solely from Grace. A further Catholic distinction: Operating Grace and Co-operating Grace. Operating Grace is God's action. Co-operating Grace is the freeing of the will by Operating Grace to cooperate with Operating Grace. This also is Grace. And meritorious works are the fruit of Co-operating Grace. Note carefully: Our Lord clearly teaches meritorious good works in Matthew 10: 42. So does St. James in his Epistle. I add that after The New Perspectives on Paul movement, beginning with E. P. Sanders <i>Paul and Palestinian Judaism</i>, there's not much left to the Protestant argument of <i>sola fide</i> being Pauline. I have discussed this elsewhere. Cf. Council of Trent, 6th Session, Decree on Justification. Sent at: 2008 07 05