civic
Active Member
Was Augustine consistent throughout his theological development — or did his earlier writings on free will stand in tension with his later doctrines on grace and predestination?-In this episode, we dive deep into the fascinating historical exchanges between:-Augustine’s early anti-Manichaean works (where he strongly defends free will)His later writings (which shift toward a more deterministic, proto-Calvinist framework)-John Cassian and the Gallic monks, who used early Augustine against later Augustine-Prosper of Aquitaine, whose critiques reveal how early sources were often strawmanned-Modern parallels in the Southern Baptist Convention and Reformed circlesThis conversation exposes how theological labels like “semi-Pelagian” were weaponized then — and still are today. And it raises an important question:Are many accused of semi-Pelagianism simply standing with Augustine’s earliest, most historically grounded views of human freedom and divine grace?
Timestamps
0:00–0:35) – “Prosper Says Augustine’s Writings Are Being Used Against Him”
(0:35–1:12) – “No Such Thing as a Grace-Free First Step in the Fifth Century”
(1:12–1:31) – “MacArthur’s Shock at ‘Semi-Pelagians’ Misses the Real Issue”
(1:31–2:00) – “Why SBC Traditionalists Got Labeled Semi-Pelagian by Both Sides”
(2:00–2:35) – “Finding Modern Free-Will Baptists Who Mirror the Fifth Century”
(2:52–3:36) – “The Semi-Pelagian Category Is a Myth — The Boogeyman Doesn’t Exist”(
4:01–4:42) – “Cassian’s Robust View of Grace Outside the Augustinian Framework”
(5:12–6:20) – “Early Augustine vs. Later Augustine: Cassian Uses Augustine Against Himself”
(7:10–7:59) – “History Repeats: Strawmen, Misinterpretations, and False Accusations”
(10:24–11:14) – “Prosper Softens: From Hard Augustinianism to a Gentler View”
Timestamps
0:00–0:35) – “Prosper Says Augustine’s Writings Are Being Used Against Him”
(0:35–1:12) – “No Such Thing as a Grace-Free First Step in the Fifth Century”
(1:12–1:31) – “MacArthur’s Shock at ‘Semi-Pelagians’ Misses the Real Issue”
(1:31–2:00) – “Why SBC Traditionalists Got Labeled Semi-Pelagian by Both Sides”
(2:00–2:35) – “Finding Modern Free-Will Baptists Who Mirror the Fifth Century”
(2:52–3:36) – “The Semi-Pelagian Category Is a Myth — The Boogeyman Doesn’t Exist”(
4:01–4:42) – “Cassian’s Robust View of Grace Outside the Augustinian Framework”
(5:12–6:20) – “Early Augustine vs. Later Augustine: Cassian Uses Augustine Against Himself”
(7:10–7:59) – “History Repeats: Strawmen, Misinterpretations, and False Accusations”
(10:24–11:14) – “Prosper Softens: From Hard Augustinianism to a Gentler View”
