Concursus Dei

Concursus dei or concursus divinus (Latin, lit., 'divine concurrence') is a theological and philosophical teaching that divine activity runs parallel to the activity of people and things.^[1] This notion allegedly resolves the dichotomy between "acts of nature or humans" vs. "acts of God." According to concursus dei, an event can be simultaneously an act of nature, c.q. humans, and an act of God. Thus, creatures immediately are propelled by God not only according to their origin (creation) and conservation in existence, but also in their causal operations.

In support of the concept a biblical passage in the Book of Isaiah is often cited: "indeed, all that we have done, you [God] have done for us." (Isaiah 26:12 NRSV). In the New Testament I Corinthians is often cited. There the apostle Paul commented upon his missionary work, "I labored more than anyone else--yet it was not I but the grace of God working through me." (I Corinthians 15:10).

In Catholic theology, a distinction is made between concursus simultaneus and concursus praevius,^[2] the former being divine influence into the effect of a second cause, parallel, as it were, with its activity, whereas the latter involves divine influence into the causing agent. Thomists insist on both kinds of concursus being required in any action of a created cause and provide an elaborate theory of the "previous concursus", calling it physical premotion. Other theological schools, especially the Jesuits, typically reject physical premotion and claim that concursus simultaneus is sufficient. The theory of concursus is not meant to compromise freedom of will; however, the Thomist doctrine of praemotio physica is blamed of achieving precisely that by its opponents.

ثمة فرق آخر بين التزامن العادي ( العام، الطبيعي ) والتزامن الاستثنائي . فبينما يُعد التزامن العادي جزءًا من النظام الطبيعي ويصاحب كل نشاط سببي لعلة ثانوية مهما كانت، فإن التزامن الاستثنائي هو من النظام الخارق للطبيعة، وهو المعونة الاستثنائية للنعمة الإلهية لكائن حرّ الفاعل. ^{[ 3 ]}

^من أبرز مؤيدي هذا التعليم الفيلسوف الألماني الشهير لايبنتز ، ^{[ 4 ]} بالإضافة إلى ديكارت وسبينوزا . ^{[ 5 ]} وهو مفهوم يستعين به أيضًا اللاهوتيون الكالفينيون المعاصرون . ^{[ 6 ]} [ ^{7 ]}

في اللاهوت الكاثوليكي، تعتبر عقيدة التوافق الإلهي بمثابة جملة مشتركة ويتقاسمها جميع اللاهوتيين تقريبًا (الاستثناء الملحوظ هو دوراندوس سان بورسيان ). أهم أنصار نسخة Thomist هم دومينغو بانيز ودييغو ألفاريز . في حين أن أبرز خصومهم اليسوعيين هم لويس دي مولينا وفرانسيسكو سواريز .