Sacramental authority rests on disciplined recognition, not natural endowment of grace.

Evidence

It does not make sense to say, with reference to the account Hugh gives, that in the sacraments “natural” functions are endowed with “supernatural” authority (that is, a transcendent endowment), still less that the sacraments are a psychotherapy for helping humans through their life-crises (a useful myth). Hugh insists that there are conditions in which the sacraments are not recognized for what they are: “This is why the eyes of infidels who see only visible things despise venerating the sacraments of salvation, because beholding in this only what is contemptible without invisible species they do not recognize the invisible virtue within and the fruit of obedience.” The authority of the sacraments is itself an engagement of the Christian subject . — Talal Asad, Formations of the Secular, 156

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the chapter’s broader contrast of Christian sacramental authority with the comparative-religion view of ritual as life-crisis psychotherapy (Marett).