THE ELECT AND ELECTION. - The elect are those whom God chooses to be the object of his supernatural gifts in this life or the next. In the Old Testament the Jews are called elect, especially those who in trials remained faithful to God; in the New Testament, the members of the Church; in current theological language, those who are saved. In this last sense the phrase "many are called, but few are chosen" (Mt. 20:16, 22:14) was understood in the past, but today it is preferred to explain the word "elect" in the broader meaning of chosen souls who serve God with ardor. Thus the best biblical foundation is taken away from the theory that holds the number of the predestined to be small in comparison with the number of the reprobate. In reality, the question of the number of the elect cannot be resolved with valid proofs either in an optimistic or in a rigorist sense.
Election is the free act by which God determines to give the predestined glory and the graces necessary to obtain it. It is taught by the Church, especially in the two Councils that dealt with predestination (Quierzy 853, Valence 855, cf. Denz-U, 316, 322), and is asserted by theologians on the ground that predestination is gratuitous. For it is not by virtue of foreseen merits that one is predestined; therefore one is predestined by a free choice of God. Whether election is distinct from predestination or not is strongly disputed (v. PREDESTINATION).
Bibliography3 worksA. Michel, Eius (nombre dei), in DThC, IV, II, coll. 2390-98; P. Parente, De Deo Uno a Trino, 2nd ed., Rome 1946, pp. 167-89; M. Brunec, Mul
BIBL.: A. Michel, Eius (nombre dei), in DThC, IV, II, coll. 2390-98; P. Parente, De Deo Uno a Trino, 2nd ed., Rome 1946, pp. 167-89; M. Brunec, Multi vocati, poesi electi, in Verbum Domini, 26 (1948), pp. 88-97.
Luciani, Albino. “Eletti e Elezione.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. V, coll. 210–211. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1950. https://azioneromana.com/article/eletti-e-elezione.
MLA
Luciani, Albino. “Eletti e Elezione.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. V, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1950, coll. 210–211. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/eletti-e-elezione.
BibTeX
@incollection{ec5_eletti_e_elezione,
author = {Luciani, Albino},
title = {Eletti e Elezione},
booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
volume = {V},
pages = {210--211},
note = {Cited by column},
publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
address = {Città del Vaticano},
year = {1950},
url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/eletti-e-elezione}
}
One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.
Click or scroll to zoom · drag to pan · Esc to close
