When we speak of ‘the Pelagian debate in the East’, the see of Alexandria and its occupant at the time, archbishop Cyril (412-444), cannot be ignored. Several formal points of contact have been mapped out in literature. First, there is Cyril’s knowledge of the acts of the council of Diospolis (415), and his correspondence with Augustine and with a certain Eusebius in the period 415-420. Then, Celestius and Pelagius are referred to in letters from Cyril during the Nestorian controversy – his memorandum to Posidonius, and a letter to the emperor Theodosius (430-431). And finally, the council of Ephesus (431), over which Cyril presided, condemned Pelagius and Celestius.
But there is little in Cyril’s extensive writings that deals explicitly with the Pelagian debate in a theological way. The focus of this paper is on Cyril of Alexandria’s theological position with regard to the issues in this debate, and especially to two key issues. The first one is the relationship between human free will and grace, the second concerns the consequences of Adam’s sin for the rest of humankind. Can changes in Cyril’s position be detected as a result of his knowledge of the controversy? Do terminology and expressions enter into Cyril’s writings that beforehand played a role in the Pelagian debate? Do we find a more developed view on the relevant issues in Cyril’s writings at the time of the council of Ephesus, or is his understanding basically the same as some ten to fifteen years earlier?
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