Perseverance

This chapter argues that the process of salvation has three parts. There is justification, the beginning of the process that depends ultimately on the human person in the process. Then there is sanctification, the extended part of the process in which a person cooperates with God to bring about her increased closeness with God through integration in goodness. And then there is perseverance in sanctification. Perseverance is as essential to the process of salvation as the original surrender to God is, and it is almost as difficult to maintain as the original surrender was difficult to elicit. On Christian theology, both the rite of the Eucharist and the experience of suffering have the power to support perseverance throughout the life of a person in grace. This chapter also shows that the connection between theodicy and the doctrine of the atonement is as intelligible as it is powerful.