Neema

Neema ni jambo lolote jema ambalo binadamu anapata katika maisha yake. 

Neno hilo kwa Kiswahili ni pana, lenye maana mbalimbali, kama vile mema ya kiroho na ya kiuchumi, lakini zote zinaelekeza kumfikiria Mwenyezi Mungu kama asili yake kuu. Ni huruma ya Mungu kwa wanadamu inayoambatana na baraka.

Teolojia katika dini mbalimbali inatumia neno hili kadiri ya imani yake maalumu.

Kwa namna ya pekee neno linatiwa mkazo katika Ukristo unaosisitiza kwamba mambo yote ni neema (kwa Kigiriki: χάρις, kharis; kwa Kilatini: gratia, yaani deso, kitu cha bure). 

Hata hivyo madhehebu yake yanatofautiana sana katika kutafsiri tamko hilo.

Katika Kanisa Katoliki
Neema ni msaada wowote tunaopewa bure na Mungu ili tupate kufika mbinguni. (Lk 1:30; Rum 5:2,20; Fil 2:13)

Kanisa Katoliki linasadiki kwamba Mungu anawapa watu wote neema za kutosha ili wapate kuokoka (Mdo 10:34-35; 1Pet 4:10-11) na kwamba Yesu Kristo ndiye aliyetustahilia neema zote kwa njia ya mateso, kifo na ufufuko wake. (Mdo 15:11)

Vilevile linasadiki kwamba Roho Mtakatifu ndiye anayetugawia neema hizo kwa ajili ya Kanisa. (Yoh 1:16; 3:3-8) na kwamba mtu anaweza kujipatia neema kwa njia ya sakramenti, sala na matendo mema. (Yak 5:16-20)

Neema ni za aina mbalimbali:
 neema za sakramenti
 neema za pekee kama vile karama na zile zinazotusaidia kutimiza majukumu yetu maalumu
 neema za msaada
 neema ya utakaso, ndiyo muhimu zaidi.

Neema za msaada ni fadhili mbalimbali ambazo Roho Mtakatifu anasaidia akili na utashi wa mtu kuanza, kuendeleza na kutimiza kazi ya wokovu wake kwa kutenda mema na kuepuka mabaya. (Yoh 15:5; Fil 2:13; 1Tim 2:4)

Neema ya utakaso ndiyo muhimu zaidi kwa sababu ni uzima wa Mungu unaotiwa rohoni mwa mtu aweze kutenda kwa upendo wake na kujiandaa kuishi naye milele. (Yoh 1:16; 3:3-8; Ef 3:4-7; 2Pet 1:3-4)

Marejeo
Wakatoliki

 Catholic Teaching on Sin & Grace (Center for Learning, 1997), 
 George Hayward Joyce, The Catholic Doctrine of Grace (Newman, 1950), 

 Stephen J. Duffy, The Graced Horizon: Nature and Grace in Modern Catholic Thought (HPAC, 1992), 

Waorthodoksi 
 Bishop Kallistos (Ware), The Inner Kingdom: The Collected Works (St. Vladimir's Seminary, 2000) 
 The Way of a Pilgrim and A Pilgrim Continues on His Way, Olga Savin, trans. (Shambhala, 2001) 

Waprotestanti
 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, Fuller and Booth, trans. (Touchstone, 1995).
 John Calvin, "Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 2 Chapter 4" 

 Randy Maddox, Responsible Grace (Kingswood, 1994) 
 Alister McGrath, Iustitia Dei: A History of the Christian Doctrine of Justification (Cambridge, 1998) 
 Glen Pettigrove, "Forgiveness and Grace", in Forgiveness and Love (Oxford University Press, 2012) 124–150.
 R. C. Sproul, Grace Unknown: The Heart of Reformed Theology (Baker Book House, 1999) 
 Ulasien, Paul, The Power of a Grace Perspective  (Infinity, 2011) , 
 Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace? (Zondervan, 1997) 
 Paul F. M. Zahl, Grace in Practice: A Theology of Everyday Life (Eerdmans, 2007) 

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 Neema

Category:Teolojia
Category:Dini