Grace in Second Clement
Priority, incongruity, superabundance, and reciprocity
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19232108 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Devin Arinder (0009-0005-5030-4111, University of Pretoria), Ernest Van Eck (0000-0003-3810-4190, University of Pretoria) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 82 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-11 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0259-9422 • E-ISSN: 2072-8050 |
| Publisher | AOSIS (PUBLISHER • ZA) |
| DOI | 10.4102/hts.v82i1.11354 |
| OpenAlex | W7160541524 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 15 |
This article explores the concept of grace in the so-called Second Letter of Clement. Using John Barclay’s taxonomy as a heuristic, the article aims to challenge the notion originally advanced by T.F. Torrance that the discourse lacks any discernible and appropriate understanding of grace. Instead, the analysis reveals that the often-overlooked Apostolic Father evidences grace in at least four ways regarding the gift of salvation: Priority, incongruity, superabundance, and most prominently, reciprocity (circularity). These ‘perfections’ or emphases establish a hierarchy of grace within the overall message, reflecting the communicative goal to evoke a just behavioural response to the gift of salvation. As a corollary, then, the discourse is further situated within a patronage framework that highlights the reciprocal facet of grace prevalent in early Christianity. Contribution: The article outlines a hierarchy of grace in a document that was previously doubted to lack it, thereby strengthening Second Clement’s position within a patronage framework and promoting the reciprocal facet of grace in early Christianity
Hierarchy · Reciprocal · Situated · Catholicism and Religious Studies · Catholicism, Bioethics, Media, Education · Theology and Canon Law Studies
| Highly cited | No |
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