Brief history of Christian interpretation of sanctification: 1. Early church fathers (Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp) – though noting the grace of God, they emphasized a striving toward holiness. 2. Gnosticism – converts are perfect, set apart from the world. 3. Montanism – demanded separatism from unholy body of believers. 4. Clement of Alexandria – necessity for denial of world and bodily needs. 5. Pelagianism – holiness is result of self-willed moral effort. 6. Augustine – sanctification is God’s activity; not by human effort. 7. Bernard of Clairvaux – mystical personal piety by imitation of Jesus. 8. Peter Lombard – sanctifying grace by infusion of Spirit in believer. 9. Thomas Aquinas – no distinction between justification and sanctification; just infusion of God’s grace in man. 10. Council of Trent – grace inheres in soul of believer by Holy Spirit, and becomes permanent condition or attribute of believer. 11. Roman Catholic doctrine – misstated and overstated subjective implications of infused sanctifying grace, providing a boost of human ability toward perfectibility and divinization. 12. Reformers (Luther, Calvin, et al) – justification emphasized and separated from sanctification; insistence on absence of human merit. 13. Protestant doctrine – over-reacted and overstated objective implications of forensic, legal and extrinsic factors of justification and sanctification. 14. Pietists – reverted to moralistic behavioral standards of holy living, in reaction to epistemological emphasis on doctrine. 15. John Wesley – “entire sanctification,” perfect holiness possible in this life; necessity of “second blessing” experience; Holiness Movement. 16. Karl Barth – reemphasized subjective implications of Christocentric and ontological dynamic of holiness. Evangelical Protestants for the most part resisted; Catholic theologians recognized and appreciated.