CS Lewis said that the courtly love tradition arose from “Ovid misunderstood.” Medieval soteriology might be said to have arisen from “Augustine misunderstood.” Everyone was Augustinian and no one wanted to be Pelagian, but Augustine’s actual teaching was confused by transmission problems both of his own works and of conciliar endorsements of his doctrine. McGrath notes that the strongly Augustinian Council of Orange (529) remained virtually unknown between the 10th and 16th centuries, and Pelagian works and even one of Pelagius’s own works (!) circulated under Augustine’s name. This provides important background to the Reformation contests over Augustine’s legacy.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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