The Life Of Pelagius -- By: James Roberts

Journal: Journal for Baptist Theology & Ministry
Volume: JBTM 08:2 (Fall 2011)
Article: The Life Of Pelagius
Author: James Roberts


The Life Of Pelagius

James Roberts

Dr. Roberts is a recent graduate of the Ph.D. program at NOBTS with a major in Church History. He was mentored by Dr. Holcomb.

All historians bring presuppositions into their work. Whether because of a historical figure whose writings and life inspired their faith or career, or simply because in the course of their studies a particular person came to the forefront of their studies, historians—like all students of history—may treat historical figures and the sources which teach us about them unfairly. If we are not careful, our historical heroes become more and more orthodox in all of their theological beliefs and practices as their theological opponents become increasingly caricatured and shaped into straw men. As much as we Baptists admire the Anabaptists, we must also present them with their blemishes. As much as Presbyterians adore the writings and life of Calvin, they must attempt to set their veneration aside when examining Calvin’s opponents’ orthodoxy, and especially when his beliefs are being presented to non-Presbyterians.

No intelligent reader will listen to us if we are not fair as historians. Fairness does not mean we as Christian historians do not have an opinion, especially when historical events are judged against the ethical demands of our faith. How do we proceed in a fair manner? Let the sources speak. I came to the Christian faith out of atheism and secular humanism, so names like Luther, Calvin, and Augustine held no special affection—no meaning, in fact—for me until my graduate studies in theology. I was something of a blank slate, and I am thankful for Dr. Daniel Holcomb’s encouragement to look beyond Luther to Erasmus, beyond Calvin to Servetus and the Radical Reformation, and beyond Augustine to Pelagius. His faithfulness to the sources was an ideal historiographical methodology, and I am thankful for his guidance in the historical craft. His evaluation of the sources, however, was even more encouraging, due to his love for and dependence upon the Bible that he modeled for and instilled in his students.

The Life Of Pelagius

Much historical knowledge can be gained from a reassessment of the condemnation of Pelagius without judging him solely through the eyes of Augustine’s later writings. Pelagius has been maligned as a “heretic among heretics” in most sectors of Christianity in the centuries since he lived. Many scholars have proposed systematic constructions of the theology of Pelagius, both the complicated and the over-simplified. Additionally, historians have attempted reconstructions of the motives of Pelagius and of his primary opponent, Augustine of Hippo.

Examining the life ...

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