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Augustine's Predestination Theology and Pagan Influences

Augustine's theology of predestination is a complex and often contested aspect of Christian doctrine, with various traditions interpreting his views differently and debating their origins. The core of the disagreement often centers on the extent of human free will in salvation and the nature of God's sovereign choice.

One prominent understanding, particularly within Reformed theology, views Augustine as a foundational figure for the doctrine of unconditional election. Charles Hodge, for instance, states that Augustine, as an "expounder of St. Paul," taught that God, "out of his mere good pleasure," elected some to everlasting life [4]. In this view, Christ's death is understood to be specifically for the elect, a concept that was not denied until the doctrine of election itself was rejected [4]. Augustine himself emphasized that there is "no more illustrious instance of predestination than Jesus Himself," suggesting that understanding Christ's predestination helps believers understand their own [2]. He argued that predestination must be preached as "Holy Scripture plainly declares it," so that God's gifts and calling in the predestinated are "without repentance" [3]. This perspective sees Augustine as asserting that not only the increase of faith but also its very beginning is a gift from God, a position he defended against those who contended that the "beginning of salvation and of faith is of ourselves" [5]. John Calvin, a key figure in Reformed theology, also drew heavily on Augustine, noting that Augustine argued that God converts the will, making the unwilling person willing, and that there is "no will inclining to good except in the elect" [10].

In contrast, other traditions, including some within Catholicism, interpret Augustine's predestination in a way that emphasizes God's foreknowledge and the gratuitous nature of grace, while often seeking to avoid deterministic implications that might undermine human responsibility. Thomas Aquinas, a major Scholastic theologian, considered predestination in two ways: first, as an eternal divine act implying antecedence to its object, and second, as regards its temporal effect, which is a "gratuitous gift of God" [1]. While Aquinas affirms predestination, the Scholastic tradition generally sought to reconcile divine sovereignty with human free will, often distinguishing between God's foreknowledge and His causal determination in a way that differs from some Reformed interpretations. The Council of Trent, while affirming the necessity of grace, also condemned the idea that human beings are purely passive in justification, indicating a nuanced position on the interplay of grace and will [8].

The debate also touches on the question of pagan influences on Augustine's thought. Some scholars, like Charles Hodge, acknowledge a "philosophical element" in Augustine's doctrine of sin, distinguishing it from the "moral or religious" element derived from his religious experience and the teaching of the Holy Spirit [9]. Hodge suggests that the philosophical speculations, whether Aristotelian or Platonic, have largely faded, while the religious and moral aspects have endured [9]. Augustine himself engaged with pagan thought, as seen in his City of God, where he discusses the "more secret doctrine of the pagans" and their physical interpretations, contrasting the pagan view of a "soul of all things" with the Christian God who "made every soul" [7]. However, the primary sources from Augustine, particularly his anti-Pelagian writings, consistently ground his arguments for predestination in Scripture and his understanding of grace, rather than explicit pagan philosophical systems [3, 5, 6]. He saw predestination as not opposing the preaching of the gospel, citing the Apostle Paul who both "commended predestination" and "did not cease to preach the word of God" [6].

The divergence in understanding Augustine's predestination often stems from differing hermeneutical commitments regarding the balance between divine sovereignty and human agency. Augustine himself contended against the Semi-Pelagians, who held that the "beginning of salvation and of faith is of ourselves," arguing that even the initial impulse towards faith is a gift of God [5]. The Semi-Pelagians, as described by Hodge, sought a middle ground, believing that while humanity is weakened by the fall, individuals are not "utterly disabled to all good" and are not "spiritually dead" [11]. This historical context highlights that the debate over Augustine's predestination was, from its inception, deeply intertwined with questions about the nature of original sin and the efficacy of grace.

Sources

  1. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Predestination of Christ, Art. 2: Article: Whether this proposition is false: "Christ as man was predestinated to be the Son of God"? I answer that, Two things may be considered in predestination. One on the part of eternal predestination itself: and in this respect it implies a certain antecedence in regard to that which comes under predestination. Secondly, predestination may be considered as regards its temporal effect, which is some gratuitous gift of God. Therefore from both points of view we must say that predestination is ascri”
  2. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 67.--THE MOST EMINENT INSTANCE OF PREDESTINATION IS CHRIST JESUS. (part 1): But there is no more illustrious instance of predestination than Jesus Himself, concerning which also I have already argued in the former treatise;[2] and in the end of this I have chosen to insist upon it. There is no more eminent instance, I say, of predestination than the Mediator Himself. If any believer wishes thoroughly to understand this doctrine, let him consider Him, and in Him he will find himself also. The believer, I say; who in Him believes and confesses the t”
  3. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 41.--PREDESTINATION DEFINED AS ONLY GOD'S DISPOSING OF EVENTS IN HIS FOREKNOWLEDGE. (part 1): For either predestination must be preached, in the way and degree in which the Holy Scripture plainly declares it, so that in the predestinated the gifts and calling of God may be without repentance; or it must be avowed that God's grace is given according to our merits,--which is the opinion of the Pelagians; although that opinion of theirs, as I have often said already, may be read in the Proceedings of the Eastern bishops to have been condemned by the ”
  4. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 107: from the doctrine of election. Indeed it never was denied that Christ died specially for the elect until the doctrine of election itself was rejected. Augustine, 548 the follower and expounder of St. Paul, taught that God out of his mere good pleasure had elected some to everlasting life, and held that Christ came into the world to suffer and die for their salvation. He purchased them with his own precious blood. The Semi-Pelagians, in denying the doctrine of election, of course denied that Christ’s death had more reference to one class ”
  5. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — AD. 428 OR 429. (part 1): WHEREIN THE TRUTH OF PREDESTINATION AND GRACE IS DEFENDED AGAINST THE SEMI-PELAGIANS,--THOSE PEOPLE TO WIT, WHO BY NO MEANS WITHDRAW ALTOGETHER FROM THE PELAGIAN HERESY, IN THAT THEY CONTEND THAT THE BEGINNING OF SALVATION AND OF FAITH IS OF OURSELVES; SO THAT IN VIRTUE, AS IT WERE, OF THIS PRECEDENT MERIT, THE OTHER GOOD GIFTS OF GOD ARE ATTAINED. AUGUSTIN SHOWS THAT NOT ONLY THE INCREASE, BUT THE VERY BEGINNING ALSO OF FAITH IS IN GOD'S GIFT. ON THIS MATTER HE DOES NOT DISAVOW THAT HE ONCE THOUGHT DIFFERENTLY, AND THAT IN SOM”
  6. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 34 [XIV.]--THE DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION NOT OPPOSED TO THE ADVANTAGE OF PREACHING.: But they say that the "definition of predestination is opposed to the advantage of preaching,"(13)--as if, indeed, it were opposed to the preaching of the apostle! Did not that teacher of the heathen so often, in faith and truth, both commend predestination, and not cease to preach the word of God? Because he said, "It is God that worketh in you both to will and to 539 do for His good pleasure,"(1) did he not also exhort that we should both will and do what is pl”
  7. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 5 .--CONCERNING THE MORE SECRET DOCTRINE OF THE PAGANS, AND CONCERNING THE PHYSICAL INTERPRETATIONS. (part 2): part, but a work,--that God who is not the soul of all things, but who made every soul, and in whose light alone every soul is blessed, if it be not ungrateful for His grace. But the things which follow in this book will show what is the nature of these mysteries, and what value is to be set upon them. Meanwhile, this most learned man confesses, as his opinion that the soul of the world and its parts are the true gods, f”
  8. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 43: § 6. Doctrine of the Church of Rome . This is a point very difficult to decide. Romanists themselves are as much at variance as to what their Church teaches concerning original sin as those who do not belong to their communion. The sources of this difficulty are, (1.) First, the great diversity of opinions on this subject prevailing in the Latin Church before the authoritative decisions of the Council of Trent and of the Romish Catechism. (2.) The ambiguity and want of precision or fulness in the decisions of that council. (3.) The differ”
  9. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 42: § 5. Augustinian Doctrine . The Philosophical Element of Augustine's Doctrine. There are two elements in Augustine's doctrine of sin: the one metaphysical or philosophical, the other moral or religious. The one a speculation of the understanding, the other derived from his religious experience and the teaching of the Holy Spirit. The one has passed away, leaving little more trace on the history of doctrine than other speculations, whether Aristotelian or Platonic. The other remains, and has given form to Christian doctrine from that day t”
  10. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 39: 7. Various Objections.—1. The will is converted by God, but, when once prepared, does its part in the work of conversion. Answer from Augustine. 2. Grace can do nothing without will, nor the will without grace. Answer. Grace itself produces will. God prevents the unwilling, making him willing, and follows up this preventing grace that he may not will in vain. Another answer gathered from various passages of Augustine. 8. Answer to the second Objection continued. No will inclining to good except in the elect. The cause of election o”
  11. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 142: and good, and something leading to salvation. Fallen men therefore are not utterly disabled to all good. And if not thus powerless for spiritual good, they are not spiritually dead. Original sin consequently, is not so dreadful an evil as Augustine represented it. Men are weak and sick; but not helpless and dead. The Semi-Pelagians, as the designation implies, therefore, endeavoured to hold a middle ground between Augustine and Pelagius. They held, (1.) That in consequence of the fall of Adam, and our connection with him, all men are bor”
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