Will we ever get past Augustine?

-
Lately I've been doing a lot of reading for my studies and this has included a vast array of writing from the Early Church Fathers, Augustine, Calvin, Wesley and many more. I have to say that there is a clear and distinct turning point around the 5th century. Prior to this point, theology was extremely optimistic with regard to the possibilities of human life. "Perfection" is a word in the Early Church Fathers that is used with complete liberality, with no apparent fear of misinterpretation or accusation of heresy or otherwise. Then along came Augustine. Or should I say along came Pelagius? Clearly there were many factors that influenced Augustine in the way that he formed his theology, and his writings against Pelagius held an incredibly pessimistic view of the possibility of human perfection through Christ. I recognise that this is because of completely opposite views of Pelagius and his understanding of the effects of sin on the human person. I get that... But why is it that Augustine's pessimism has had such a continuing pervasive effect on the theology of the Christian Church? Calvin is the same, and so are many others I'm sure. Surely there must be a place somewhere in the middle where we can recognise not just Original Sin, but also Original Blessing? Surely if Christ's sacrificial death really is an atoning sacrifice then the benefits of this on a Christian are immediate in this life, not just the next. Will there ever come a time when someone can express a view different to Augustine without being accused of being Pelagian? Is that possible? Will that time ever come? Surely if God is sovereign (which I believe) and Jesus' death and resurrection was effective (which I believe) then can't it be that the Holy Spirit can actually cleanse a person from their sin, not just eliminate the "guilt" of sin. Will that time ever come? Or am I just a hopeless optimist?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inerrent, Infallible, Inspired... Interpreted?

-
Image
I love Chopin. I love listening to his music, but I especially love playing his music. His Nocturnes in particular. There's something very satisfying about playing Chopin. He was a pianist, and every piece of music he wrote was for the piano, and so he "gets" what it's like to sit at a piano and wrestle with those 88 keys in front of you. He was a genius who knew how to get the most out of this instrument, and to challenge those who would want to call themselves a pianist (ever tried playing 12 notes at once with 10 fingers?). Perhaps what I like best, though, is the opportunity that playing Chopin gives me to really express myself through the music. It's like nothing else that I know and taps right into the depths of my emotions and indeed my soul. For me, it's very much a kind of prayer to play this music. Anyone who plays a musical instrument well understands (or should understand) that it's so much more than just the notes on the page. In fact, the b
Read more

An Exercise in Self-Deception

-
Image
The Salvation Army in Australia is in the midst of an historic journey. Since 1880 the Army has been active in this country, doing all it can to see God’s Kingdom come and his will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. For much of that time, for functional and practical reasons, there have been two territories; Australia Southern and Australia Eastern. Earlier this year it was announced that this would change. The two would become one. As at 1 June the Australia One project was launched and work was begun on joining the two territories together into one unified structure. This move excites me. Not just for the practical reasons, but for theological ones as well. This has the potential to be a symbol of unity to the rest of the Army and, indeed, the world. A symbol of how two different things can come together to form something new and, through that new thing, reform society. This can be a symbol of the incarnation; that moment in time and space when the divine and human were u
Read more