On Reincarnation

[Glaurung]

I'm curious; are Molinism and Thomism both variations or subgroups of Calvinism or is that something else entirely?

Something else entirely. Thomism and Molinism are Catholic answers concerning the nature of predestination.

Like in Calvinism, the predestination of the elect is Catholic dogma. Unlike Calvinism, Catholicism lacks a clear dogma about what predestination is or how it works. Only that it exists. Which was fine until the Protestant Reformation forced the question into the forefront. In addressing the question two 'orthodox' schools of thought emerged in the Catholic Church. 'Thomism' and 'Molinism'.

And one of my big sticking points in this thread has been that while the Catholic Church deems Calvinist predestination to be heretical, the Thomist system of predestination is in my opinion scarcely distinguishable from it. I would go so far as to say it is functionally identical. Whether God damns the reprobate by eternal decree or simply passes over them to be damned (as a consequence of his decree to save only the elect) is in my view a distinction without a difference.

Also, what do Thomists believe qualifies the elected to be granted God's grace if not by responding to grace?

Nothing. The elect are the elect by the will of God alone.

In Thomism, predestination occurs before merit. In this view the human will is incapable of responding to grace unless it is irresistibly prompted to do so by efficacious grace. But only those whom God predestines to salvation receive efficacious grace, everyone else is left with only sufficient grace. Sufficient grace alone will never prompt the human will to salutary acts, only efficacious grace can do that. This means those not among the elect will inevitably die in mortal sin and therefore merit Hell.

And for me this is not just an abstract question, it is causing me real consternation in my faith. Because while the Catholic Church insists that the salvific will is universal in its desire and love, I am not sure how true that can be if that same will chooses only to bring about the salvation of a minority chosen before all time. I've really begun to question how the Christian scheme of the afterlife squares with its claim of a sincere deity who loves his creation. His own creatures.