The Oxford Handbook of the Pelagian Controversy

by Dupont, Anthony; Malavasi, Giulio; Matz, Brian

• ISBN13: 9780192855398
• ISBN10: 0192855395
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780192667700
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2025-09-12
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The Oxford Handbook of the Pelagian Controversy delves into the heart of one of Christianity's earliest and most profound theological disputes. The Pelagian controversy, characterized by fierce debates on topics such as original sin, grace, and predestination, was a pivotal moment in the development of Christian doctrine during the early fifth century, unfolding across continents and involving influential figures like Augustine of Hippo, Pelagius, Caelestius, and Julian of Aeclanum.

Beyond a mere theological and ecclesiastical debate, Pelagianism was an historical event which had far-reaching consequences, even influencing imperial decisions, and shaping later evolutions in the West -- theologically, philosophically, but also politically and historically. While shedding light on the historical intricacies of the Pelagian controversy, this Handbook also explores its enduring legacy. The discussions surrounding human autonomy, sexuality, and human limitations continue to shape contemporary theological and ethical discussions.

With a strong emphasis on methodological precision, this comprehensive volume offers a balanced view of the Pelagian controversy, avoiding oversimplification, highlighting the importance of lost sources and the contributions of lesser-known figures, and uncovering the reception history of the controversy through the centuries. This Handbook is an indispensable resource for scholars and students interested in the history of the West and of Christianity, particularly concerning the profound philosophical and theological questions that continue to influence our modern culture.

Author Biography

Anthony Dupont, Research Professor, KU Leuven,Giulio Malavasi, Independent scholar, ,Brian Matz, Professor of the History of Christianity and Associate Dean, Aquinas Institute of Theology

Anthony Dupont is a Research Professor in Christian Antiquity affiliated with the Research Unit History of Church and Theology at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, KU Leuven, Belgium. His scholarly pursuits focus on the theology and philosophy of Augustine of Hippo (354-430). Dupont was recently appointed to the Chair Augustine of Hippo, the mission of which is to deepen the understanding of Augustine's intellectual legacy and to foster broader dissemination of his ideas through rigorous academic inquiry.

Giulio Malavasi is an independent scholar and a civil servant in the Italian government. He publishes regularly on the Pelagian controversy, focusing on the historical construction of Pelagianism as a heresy, on the theological differences within the so-called Pelagian movement, and on the history of Pelagianism in the East. He recently published La controversia pelagiana in Oriente (2022) and co-edited the volume Sancti uiri, ut audio: Theologies, Rhetorics and Receptions of the Pelagian Controversy Reappraised (2023).

Brian Matz is Professor of the History of Christianity and Associate Dean of Aquinas Institute of Theology, a graduate school affiliated with Saint Louis University in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA. He is the author of several books and articles on the theological controversies of and the reception of Augustine in the Carolingian era, on Gregory of Nazianzus, and on early Christian social ethics.

Table of Contents

Introduction, Anthony Dupont, Giulio Malavasi, Brian MatzPART 1: History1. Biographies of the Principal Participants in the Fifth Century, Stuart Squires2. The Pre-history of the Pelagian Controversy, Part I: Grace and Freewill, Ethical Intellectualism and the Birth of Original Sin, Ilaria Ramelli3. The Pre-history of the Pelagian controversy, Part II: The Debate Begins, Walter Dunphy4. The social dimensions of a religious controversy, Jean-Marie Salamito5. The First Phase of the Controversy: from the Outbreak up to Zosimus' Epistula tractoria, Winrich Löhr6. The Second Phase of the Controversy: from Julian of Aeclanum's Refusal to Sign Zosimus' Epistula tractoria to the Condemnation of the Pelagians at the Council of Ephesus, Mar Marcos7. The Late Antique Post-Pelagian Controversies (426-470), Raúl Villegas MarínPART 2: Theology8. Original Sin and Infant Baptism, Matthieu Pignot9. Carnal Concupiscence, Timo Nisula10. Grace and Free Will, Marianne Djuth11. Perseverance and Predestination, Susanna Elm12. Christology, Han-Luen Kantzer KomlinePART 3: Exegesis13. Pelagius's Interpretation of Romans 5, 7, and 9, Thomas Scheck14. The Gospels and the Catholic Epistles, Jonathan P. Yates15. Reception of the Old Testament, Dorothea Weber16. Anti-Pelagian Theology in Augustine's non anti-Pelagian Works, Volker Henning Drecoll17. Exegetical Commentaries by Jerome (Ezekiel and Jeremiah), Giuseppe Caruso18. Exegetical Commentaries by Pelagius, Theodore de Bruyn19. Julian of Aeclanum as a Biblical Exegete, Josef Lössl20. Sermons, Marie Pauliat21. Pelagius, Letters, and Late Roman Epistolary Networks, Jennifer EbbelerPART 4: Rhetoric22. Traditio patrum, Andrew Chronister23. The Creation of Pelagianism (Augustine), Rafal Toczko24. The Creation of Pelagianism (Jerome), Jessica van't Westeinde25. The Creation of Pelagianism (Orosius, Roman Bishops, and Marius Mercator), Geoffrey Dunn26. Pelagius against Jerome, Giulio Malavasi27. Julian of Aeclanum's Critique on Augustine's View on Original Sin, Mathijs LamberigtsPART 5: Reception28. Process and Possibility: Pelagius and Eastern Orthodox Theology, Brenda Ihssen29. An Anonymous Treatise on Predestination from a Controversy in the Early-Sixth Century, Francis X. Gumerlock30. Pelagianism in the Sixth to Eighth Centuries, Matthew Pereira31. Pelagianism in the Ninth Century, Brian Matz32. Echoes of the Pelagian Controversy from the 11th to 15th Centuries, Guido Stucco33. Reformation and Counter-Reformation, Aaron Moldenhauer34. Reason without Grace. Pelagianism and Origenism in Jansens' Augustinus, Gaetano Lettieri35. Pelagianism in Protestantism of the 17th and 18th Centuries, Marc Bergermann36. Pelagianism in Twentieth Century Theological Discourse, Michael GreveAppendix: Translation of Four Neglected Texts from the Pelagian Controversy, Francis X. Gumerlock