Pelagius

Pelagius (* 350, † 420 ) was a British monk, after the doctrine of Pelagianism was named.

Life

Influenced by an ascetic lifestyle, Pelagius was a preacher in Rome outraged by the moral laxity in the society as he experienced there. His teaching was marked by the rejection of the doctrine of original sin. He disagreed in his sermons also the statements on the theology of divine grace, as they were preached by Augustine of Hippo, as well as the need for " greater grace" after the fall, about grace addition, the required Adam in paradise without sin would. Pelagius, however, was of the opinion that Augustine's doctrine it came down to introduce Manichaeism to Christianity. He accused Augustine, give the same rank as God the evil, and to teach pagan fatalism, as if it were a Christian doctrine. Although he is regarded as the originator of Pelagianism, can also be shown that the monk had never been held this doctrine and that it was only from that to which the opponents of this view would have moored their statements.

As Alaric I sacked Rome 410, Pelagius and his companion fled Caelestius to Carthage, where Pelagius fell into another conflict with Augustine. His followers Caelestius was condemned by a Church Council, after Pelagius continue to flee to Jerusalem, but his pursuers soon saw in his footsteps: Paulus Orosius went to Jerusalem to warn Jerome before him. Though Pelagius was acquitted 415 at a synod of charges of heresy, but Augustine had already brought an effective " campaign" in motion that Pelagius and Caelestius should identify as heretics. 416 Pelagius was condemned at the Synod of Carthage and Mileve. Beginning 417 was the excommunication by the Roman Bishop Innocent I.. Affected by this opinion was also Caelestius.

Augustine's version of Pelagius ' teaching on sin and atonement was, inter alia, condemned in 418 at the Synod of Carthage as heresy.

Pelagius is said to have represented a positive anthropology in contrast to Augustine: The man is essentially good and the human will, consequently, able to obey commandments only because of its natural assets of God. Through continuous practice asceticism and human nature is to strengthen, according to the formula "You can, because you want to ." In an effort to refute Arianism and Manichaeism as heresies, he stressed - in contrast to the moral determinism of the latter - the freedom of the will, which could never be corrupted as a gift from God by sin.

Taken further and was only brought to maturity of the philosophical approach of Pelagius in the work of Julian of Eclanum ( Aeclanum ), the Augustine defied in a series of writings. Nevertheless, the Augustinian view of grace and freedom prevailed in Western Christendom.

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