A
much debated term used to signify the bestowal of grace in association
with physical signs. |
Theologians in the
tradition of Augustine of Hippo
often describe sacraments as outward and visible signs of invisible grace.
Thomas Aquinas proposed a widely
accepted definition in the catholic West when he described a sacrament
as "the sign of a sacred thing in so far as it sanctifies men." Medieval
theologians differed in their use of the term, with some theologians arguing
for as many as thirty sacraments. The Sentences
of Peter Lombard identify seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, the
Mass, penance, holy orders, matrimony and extreme unction. This became
the standard list of sacraments in the West and East. The Council
of Trent (1546-1563) officially codified this in the West.
|