6.3 - The Pelagian Controversy

Augustine of Hippo, a line from whose autobiography (“Grant what you command and command what you desire”) offended the British monk Pelagius and set off the Pelagian Controversy.

Synopsis

The third and last doctrinal controversy of the Constantinian era dealt with a more practical question: "Is man a sinner by nature or by choice?" The British monk Pelagius argued that God would never give a command unless man could obey it and thus each man is a new Adam. In response, Augustine of Hippo argued that Scripture teaches the doctrine of original sin--each of us have inherited a sinful nature from our forefather Adam. Thus, salvation must be by grace from start to finish. The church sided with Augustine in principle without ratifying every particular of his doctrine.

Key Quotes

• “Augustine’s famous phrase 'original sin' doesn’t refer to Adam and Eve’s original act of disobedience in the garden. Instead, it refers to the consequences that that first sin had upon the entire human race."
• “It is wholly a gift of God to love God.” (Synod of Orange, 529)
• "The debate over the exact relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility continues to the present day—Protestants know it as the Calvinist/Arminian debate—both sides can trace their theology back to Augustine." 

Reflection Questions 

• What do you think Pelagius would have said the point of Jesus' coming? 
• What do you think of Pelagius' "common sense" measure of responsibility for sin? ("We are not responsible for sinning unless we could have done otherwise.") What do you think Augustine would have said the true measure is?
• What question about Augustine's doctrine did the Council of Ephesus and Synod of Orange leave unanswered?

Further Resources

For a more in-depth look at Augustine's doctrines of original sin, grace, and predestination, here's a lecture by Dr. Bruce Gore, whose video series on church history I highly recommend.