The Rationale for Augustine’s Development of the Doctrine of Predestination

Abstract

Many Christians have misconceptions about predestination. It is a complex issue that is characterized by great theological disagreement. However, it cannot be disregarded given that someone’s belief on the matter has great consequences. The African theologian Saint Augustine (AD 354–430) spoke extensively on predestination. Although the setting of the modern church is different from Augustine’s day, this article argues that the issues that Augustine confronted were not unique to his day. A comparative analysis of the literature is conducted to discover and evaluate some historical ideas. As a result, the translated work of Augustine and recent scholarly publications on this topic were consulted. This was done to identify historical opinions to assess Augustine’s influence on the theological development of the doctrine of predestination. The present article endeavors to demonstrate the influence of Augustine’s exegetical approach to the Epistle of Romans on his dogmatic pronouncements. Furthermore, it seeks to establish the polemical influence of the Pelagius controversy on Augustine’s theological views. Through a critical analysis of Augustine’s writings, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how these two factors shaped Augustine’s theological thought.

Keywords

• augustinianism
• pelagianism
• predestination
• sin
• grace