Johannes Börjesson: Maximus the Confessor and Augustine’s ‘two wills’ in John IV’s defence of Honorius

Pope Honorius’ first letter to Sergius (635) famously asserted ‘one will of the Lord Jesus Christ’. In defence of Honorius’ statement (641), Pope John IV took recourse to Augustine’s teaching about two opposing wills in ordinary human beings: a will of the flesh and a will of the spirit. John IV’s point was that Christ lacked such conflicting wills in his human nature, and that Honorius’ statement about Christ’s ‘one will’ should be interpreted as affirming this reality. Later, Maximus the Confessor commented on John IV’s defence of Honorius and referred to and affirmed the two will statement. This paper establishes and highlights this connection; a connection that brings together Augustinian exegesis with the Maximian dyothelite project.