Sin, grace, free will, and salvation : four major classical views and an alternative

Abstract

This research seeks to clarify the relationship between God's grace and. human free will in salvation. To achieve this goal, it investigates and evaluates four major classical theories concerning sin and the respective roles of grace and free will in salvation, then proposes an alternate view.

Chapter 1 contains the introduction of the study and the background of the problem raised in the early 5th century in Christian history. It includes a review of relevant literature.

Chapter 2 provides preiiminary background material about various aspects of sin, grace and human will which is important for investigation and evaluation of the four classical theories and the proposal of an alternate view.

Chapter 3 explores the concepts of sin and understandings of the relationship between God's grace and human will in salvation as viewed within the four major theological systems: Augtustinianism, Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagiianism, and Semi-Augustlnianism.

Chapter 4 includes a biblical and theological analysis of the concepts of sin, grace and human will in salvation held by the four major classlcal views. It concludes that all four have failed to completely grasp the whole picture of the relationship between God's grace and human free will in the process of human salvation. Augustinianism and Pelagianism seem to overemphasize either the redemptive grace of God, or the created grace of human will as the primary basis of salvation. Semi-Pelagianism and semi-Augustinianism provide more balance by maintaining that there must be cooperation between free will and grace, but they are incomplete. The proposed alternative view is that grace and free will cooperate together harmoniously, in such a way that cooperation for salvation from sinfuf nature is initiated by grace, and cooperation for deliverance from actual sin is initiated by free will.

Chapter 5 presents the summary of the study and concludes with a proposed alternative view.