Comparing Augustine & Pelagius: Theology of Free Will & Original Sin, Study notes of Christianity

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Western vss. Eastern

Theology

Augustine

Pelagius

Semi-Pelagianism

Augustine in Africa

• Childhood 354-

• Classical Philosophy (Cicero’s Stoicism)

• Manichaean Period 375-

• Neoplatonic Period 382-

• Early Christian Period 386-

• Clerical Period 391-

Defending Christianity

• Pelagius

• (^) An ascetic preacher of Moral Reform
  • (^) Emphasized human Free Will (We control both our will and our action)
  • (^) God’s Grace evident in external works: Creation, scripture, influence of Christ & Church, forgiveness (Not internal transformation)
  • (^) Adam & Eve’s sin affected only themselves, any human is born with an uncorrupted nature.
  • (^) Humans have the capacity to live sinless lives

Greek Christian Anthropology

• Irenaeus – Free Will essential to Justice

• Tertullian – Free Will a part of God created

human nature (image of God?)

• Clement of Alexandria – Have capacity not

to sin, but material existence and

ignorance leads us to sin

• Gregory of Nyssa – changeable nature

means we always have the capacity to

change (Free Will)

Semipelagianism

• (^) John Cassian (Monastic leader in Gaul)
  • (^) Both Pelagius and Augustine have overstated their positions therefore
  • (^) Grace is experienced internally (contra Pelagius)
  • (^) Humans do have free will (contra Augustine).
  • (Middle positions are hard to maintain.)

Semi-Pelagianism Rejected

• Prosper of Aquitaine (390-455) – insisted

on the completely free character of God’s

grace. He suggested that God’s

foreknowledge led him to extend grace to

some while denying it to others.

Interpreting Scripture

John Cassian

• (^) Four Levels of Interpreting Scripture:
  • (^) Literal – Historical
  • (^) Allegorical – content of Faith
  • (^) Moral – What you are to do
  • (^) Anagogical – What is your goal?
• (^) Vincent
• (^) 3 Standards for evaluating Scripture:
• (^) Scripture,
• (^) Ecumenical Councils,
• (^) Consensus of Early Church Fathers

Other Influential Augustinian

Ideas

• (^) Visible & Invisible Kingdom (Church-State

Relations)

• (^) Visible & Invisible Church (Grace & Apparent

Hypocrisy)

• (^) Original Sin – Predestination – Grace
• (^) 2 Deaths – All Bodies die, Only the Souls of the

Wicked die at judgment when cut off completely

from god; “Hell” may simply be to cease to exist

• (^) God exists outside of time and what is a long time

for us is instantaneous for him