400 AD - Pelagius vs Augustine
pelagius, a british monk, who was known in rome as an ascetic and a good speaker.
there is some uncertainty surrounding pelagius...since most of what we know about him is from his opponents.
in what was likely an attempt to encoucage folks to hold themselves accountable for their behavior, he taught
that humans weren't necessarily sinful inately, just so by pattern (basically...original sin).
this meant that humans didn't need god for salvation...since they were created by god. this is often quoted...
but pelagius probably did belive that humans needed christ and the cross to be saved. how much and in what ways
he taught is under debate however.
augustine...was a manachian (good vs evil in cosmic dual), then a christian.
he spoke highly of pelagius' character, and poorly of his theology.
augustine argued for:
1. Death came from sin, not man's physical nature.
2. Infants must be baptized to be cleansed from original sin.
3. Justifying grace covers past sins and helps avoid future sins.
4. The grace of Christ imparts strength and will to act out God's commandments.
5. No good works can come without God's grace.
6. We confess we are sinners because it is true, not from humility.
7. The saints ask for forgiveness for their own sins.
8. The saints also confess to be sinners because they are.
9. Children dying without baptism are excluded from both the Kingdom of heaven and eternal life.
so...most christians would say that he was right (ish).
his ideas on original sin were huge though... his teaching that man's sin has rendered him incapable on his own
of choosing good or god stuck with the church.
1200s - thomas 'the train' aquinas (thanks wikipedia)
1. infusio gratiae - common, prevenient grace. god grants grace to men to overcome depravity, basically
giving them the ability to choose god of their own free will (to have faith).
2. fides caritate formata - good works / faith. men must now do good works to have a "faith formed by charity"...
faith must have works associated. (james 2, faith without works is dead)
3. meritum de condigno - god grants salvation to those with sufficient faith and works.
1500s - john calvin
calvin, as the foremost of the swiss reformers, had his name attached the body of theology developed by the group.
calvin's theology on predestination is often summed up in 5 points (T U L I P):
note...these 5 points were actually formulated by calvin's followers later as a response to arminius.
T - total depravity. man is sinful in all areas and therefore unable to choose god.
U - unconditional election. god choose who he would save for his own reasons, not because he foresaw merit or good
in an individual.
L - limited atonement. the grace of the cross is sufficient for all those elected, not for the sin of all the world.
basically, if christ took the punishment for someone, then that person must be saved as that persons
punishment has been fulfilled.
I - irrisistable grace. if you've been elected, you can't stop it. god will get you saved, period.
P - perseverance of the saints. once saved, always saved. you can check out but you can never leave.
further distinctions:
infralapsarian:
god created world -> man fell -> men were condemned -> god elected some
supralapsarian:
god elected some -> god created world -> man fell -> men were condemned
note that not all calvinists are 5 point calvinists.
closest current followers: presbyterians.
~1600 - joseph arminius
arminius studied with beza, calvin's protege. he ended up disagreeing with a few points, and formulated the following:
humans are depraved and unable to make any effort towards salvation (shared with calvinists)
common grace to all - god grants grace to all men sufficient to enable them to seek salvation (common/prevenient grace)
conditional election - god's election is based on man's free expression of faith (foreknowledge is often the explanation)
unlimited atonement - christ's atonment was made on behalf of all people.
resistable grace - god allows people to resist grace and to reject salvation.
losable salvation - the believer can reject salvation.
closest current followers: methodists