God s Grace and Romans 7

God’s Grace in Addiction

Part One

1. The main purpose of this article is…

· \"Newness of Life and Grace-Enabled Recovery from Addiction: Walking the Road to Recovery With Romans 7\" by Andrew Kim looks at the relationship between God\'s grace and human sinfulness. The context of analysis is addiction. The author aims to better know how God\'s grace operates in the life of an addict and proposes that God\'s grace has the power to heal addiction. The article examines this through four stages of healing.

\"My purpose in this essay is not to attempt to resolve any of these questions but rather to consider them anew from the standpoint of addiction. My question is: how does God’s grace unfold in the life of the addict? Responding to this question, I maintain that God’s grace is sufficient to heal a person from addiction and examine four stages in which this healing may occur.\"[footnoteRef:1] (Page 2) [1: Andrew Kim, \"Newness of Life and Grace-Enabled Recovery from Addiction.\" Journal of Moral Theology 10, no. Special Issue 1 (2021), 125.]

2. The key question the author is addressing is…

· The central question is the compatibility of grace and sin in one\'s life. The author examines how God\'s grace unfolds in the life of an addict and whether it is sufficient to heal them from addiction.

\"More specifically, questions arise regarding the compatibility of grace and sin in one’s life. Can a person who is actively engaging in sin simultaneously be in a state of grace?\"[footnoteRef:2] [2: Andrew Kim, \"Newness of Life and Grace-Enabled Recovery from Addiction.\" Journal of Moral Theology 10, no. Special Issue 1 (2021), 124.]

3. The most critical information in this article is…

· The problematic statement by St. Paul about doing evil he does not want to do and its implications for Christians.

\"St. Paul says that he does not do the good he wants to do but does the evil he does not want to do (Romans 7:19).\"[footnoteRef:3] [3: Andrew Kim, \"Newness of Life and Grace-Enabled Recovery from Addiction.\" Journal of Moral Theology 10, no. Special Issue 1 (2021), 124.]

· The relationship between God\'s grace and human sinfulness.

· The exploration of addiction as either a sin or a disease and the implications of each perspective.

· The influence of genetics on addiction.

· The theological interpretations of Augustine and Aquinas on Romans 7:14–25 and their relevance to understanding addiction.

4. The main assumptions underlying the author’s thinking are…

· The assumption that St. Paul\'s statement in Romans 7:19 raises questions about the relationship between God\'s grace and human sinfulness.

· The belief that addiction can be viewed both as a sin and as a disease, and that understanding this dual perspective is crucial for moral and theological analysis.

· The idea that human agency can influence genetic pathways to addiction, challenging the deterministic view of addiction.

5. The point of view presented in this article is…

· The article is written from a theological perspective, with reference to Christian teachings, like those of Augustine and Aquinas. Kim is obviously trained in theology and moral philosophy, and gives a strong analysis of other theological texts. The intended audience seems to be those interested in moral theology, particularly in the context of addiction.

Part Two

1. What is happening?

· The author is looking at the problem addiction, from a theological/moral point of view. The article focuses on the tension between viewing addiction as a sin versus viewing it as a disease and how grace factors in.

· Kim refers to Aquinas\'s understanding of sin, AA\'s perspective on addiction, and the concept of logismoi (harmful trains of thought). The author also mentions the \"longstanding traditional identification of wrong action with personal badness or sin\" and how it has caused hurt and consternation over the centuries.[footnoteRef:4] [4: Andrew Kim, \"Newness of Life and Grace-Enabled Recovery from Addiction.\" Journal of Moral Theology 10, no. Special Issue 1 (2021), 125.]

· Quotation: \"People with compulsions have never benefited, however, by the longstanding traditional (though not rooted in the Scriptures) identification of wrong action with personal badness or sin. On the contrary, that identification has caused, over the centuries, hurt, consternation\"[footnoteRef:5] [5: Andrew Kim, \"Newness of Life and Grace-Enabled Recovery from Addiction.\" Journal of Moral Theology 10, no. Special Issue 1 (2021), 125.]

2. Why is it happening?

· Kim pulls from theology, psychology, and genetics, to view addiction. For instance, Kendler\'s research is mentioned, which focuses on genetic pathways to addiction and how human decision-making can influence these pathways.

· Quotation: \"Kendler concludes that human decision-making can influence genetic pathways to addiction and other psychiatric disorders to a much greater degree than is often supposed.\"[footnoteRef:6] [6: Andrew Kim, \"Newness of Life and Grace-Enabled Recovery from Addiction.\" Journal of Moral Theology 10, no. Special Issue 1 (2021), 129.]

3. What should be happening? Or, where is God in the midst of what is happening?

· The author relies on Aquinas and other theologians to understand what is happening, and suggests that addiction is a process that needs to be overcome with help and healing rather than condemnation.

· Quotation: \"Blame, then, often misses the mark, but even when it does not miss it entirely, it is still not the only or even the main point about sin, including the sinfulness that underlies addiction.\"[footnoteRef:7] [7: Andrew Kim, \"Newness of Life and Grace-Enabled Recovery from Addiction.\" Journal of Moral Theology 10, no. Special Issue 1 (2021), 135.]

4. How should we respond?

· The article emphasizes the need for a compassionate and understanding approach to addiction. Causes of addiction are helpful to understand, but emphasis should also be given to providing support.

· The article also calls for a balanced perspective.

· Quotation: \"However responsible people may be for their addiction, addicts, too, need a cure.\"[footnoteRef:8] [8: Andrew Kim, \"Newness of Life and Grace-Enabled Recovery from Addiction.\" Journal of Moral Theology 10, no. Special Issue 1 (2021), 135.]

Part Three

Summary of the Author’s Overall Argument and Main Question(s): Kim looks at the relationship between God\'s grace and human sinfulness in the context of addiction. The central question is the compatibility of grace and sin in one\'s life, for those dealing with addiction. Kim aims to understand how God\'s grace operates in the life of an addict and proposes that God\'s grace has the power to heal addiction. He examines this through four stages of healing.

Description of How the Author is Practicing Practical Theology in this Article:

1. Descriptive Empirical Task: Kim focuses on addiction and the tension between viewing addiction as a sin versus viewing it as a disease.