Nature and grace

Nature and grace has been a key theological problem at least since the middle ages.  But the distinction is often misplaced.  As used in Athanasius, for example, the terms refer not to two different realms within the creation, or two different sorts of capacities of human nature.

Rather, nature and grace are introduced to distinguish Creator and creature, and particularly the uncreated Son from the adopted creature.  The first is the monogenes by nature; the second are sons by grace.  Importantly, even the unredeemed existence of creatures is, Athanasius says, by virtue participation in the Spirit.