In reading Henry Chadwick’s The Early Church, I was amazed by the Augustine – Pelagius clash in the 4th century CE over the human condition – whether or not people are guilty of original sin and able to affect their own salvation through free choice (by being good). In order to fully extinguish this heresy, Augustine said that we are all guilty of original sin (due to Adam’s fall) and that God then chooses the elect who will be saved. We have nothing at all to do with it.
Yes this is predestination folks. But in the modern Catholic version of this, we are indeed born into the fallen human condition and God offers his grace to us so if we turn to him and cooperate, we will be redeemed. Somewhat of a compromise. What makes some people decide to cooperate and others not? Free will I suppose.
Here is an essay I asked ChatGPT to write on the human condition.
I guess in the end, I side with the modern Catholic version of this – it’s impossible for a person to lead a sin free life so we need and must cooperate with God’s grace in order to be saved. What do you think?
