When Augustine Refuted Augustine: The Fifth Century Debate Nobody Talks About

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 circles This 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? Check out the full episode w/ @veracityhill here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBqdxBPSqlw 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” To get your copy of Dr. Flowers new book, Drawn By Jesus, go here: https://a.co/d/6s767Ey To SUPPORT this broadcast, please click here: https://soteriology101.com/support/ Subscribe to the Soteriology 101 Newsletter here: www.soteriology101.com/newsletter Is Calvinism all Leighton talks about? https://soteriology101.com/2017/09/22/is-calvinism-all-you-talk-about/ DOWNLOAD OUR APP: LINK FOR ANDROIDS: https://play.google.com/store/apps/de... LINK FOR APPLE: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/soterio... Go to www.ridgemax.co for all you software development needs! Show them some love for their support of Soteriology101!!! To ORDER Dr. Flowers Curriculum “Tiptoeing Through Tulip,” please click here: https://soteriology101.com/shop/ To listen to the audio only, be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or one of the other podcast players found here: https://soteriology101.com/home/ For more about Traditionalism (or Provisionism), please visit www.soteriology101.com Dr. Flowers’ book, “The Potter’s Promise,” can be found here: https://a.co/d/iLKpahj Dr. Flowers’ book, “God’s Provision for All” can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Provision... To engage with other believers cordially join our Facebook group: https://m.facebook.com/groups/1806702... For updates and news, follow us at: www.facebook/Soteriology101 Or @soteriology101 on Twitter Please SHARE on Facebook and Twitter and help spread the word! To learn more about other ministries and teachings from Dr. Flowers, go here: https://soteriology101.com/2017/09/22... To become a Patreon supporter or make a one-time donation: https://soteriology101.com/support/ #LeightonFlowers #Calvinism #Theology