10 - Sacraments
from Part III
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 August 2026
Summary
This chapter examines the sacraments, with special attention to baptism, penance and the Eucharist. Thomas serenely adopts both ontological and symbolical approaches in his sacramentology. The sacraments commemorate Christ, are truly transformative by making grace present, and have an eschatological dimension by assisting us in attaining beatitude. Baptism addresses the imperfection of original sin and incorporates us into Christ. Penance restores our relationship with God. A key element of penance is satisfaction. This allows us to deepen our discussion of ‘making satisfaction’ considered in Chapter 5. The chapter concludes with an overview of central aspects of the Eucharist as sacrifice (again enriching our discussion from Chapter 5) and as a communal meal. The Eucharist is the goal of the other sacraments and the fulfilment of the Christian life.
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- Providence, Evil and SalvationA Thomist Perspective, pp. 390 - 430Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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