Understanding God’s sovereignty and human freedom: recovering Augustine’s view of free-will

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Understanding God’s sovereignty and human freedom: recovering Augustine’s view of free-will

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title: Understanding God’s sovereignty and human freedom: recovering Augustine’s view of free-will

creator: Hudson, John

subject: Augustine, of Hippo, Saint (354-430)

subject: God - sovereignty.

description: Abstract reads : "Christian theology portrays God as sovereign over all human history, and yet his human creatures as able to choose between morally significant courses of action. At the heart of created reality is both a theological determinism where God has determined the course of human history, and a human capacity to make real and meaningful choices between two or more possibilities. This thesis sets out to explore the compatibility of God’s sovereignty and human freedom, in the eyes of a key contributor to the theological tradition, Augustine, Bishop of Hippo Regis. Specifically, it examines the coherence of Augustine’s view of free-will (that we can choose between alternate possibilities), and his doctrine of grace (that we need God's grace because without it we will not choose God). It is argued that Augustine’s distinction between our ability (posse) and our will (velle) is key for understanding his construal of the compatibility between God’s sovereignty and human freedom. Although we have the ability to choose other than what God has determined, we do not have the will to choose other than what God has determined, whether God moves us by his Spirit or gives us over to our sin. Thus, while we can choose between alternate possibilities, God has determined all that will come to pass. While it is often assumed that Augustine held that, apart from the grace of God, fallen humanity is non posse non peccare (not able to not sin), it is demonstrated that the only instance of this phrase in the entire works of Augustine, is in a single sentence in which Augustine is quoting Pelagius. By contrast, it is argued that Augustine would have rejected the view that fallen humanity is non posse non peccare (not able to not sin), and instead, advocated that fallen humanity is non velle non peccare (not willing to not sin)."Introduction – The Problem of CompatibilismChapter 1 – Augustine On Free WillChapter 2 – The First Pelagian ControversyChapter 3 – The Second Pelagian ControversyChapter 4 – Augustine‟s Final Thoughton Free-willConclusion – Implications for Understanding CompatibilismSubmitted in full fulfilment for the degree of Master of Theology, Moore Theological College.

publisher: Moore Theological College

date: 2021-06-01

type: Text

language: English

rights: In copyright: Date of publication plus 70 yearsThis item may be used for the purposes of research and study. Please acknowledge John Hudson and that it is held by Moore Theological College.

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format: pdf

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