Pelagianism

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/pelagianism

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is Pelagianism?Pelagianism is an old idea that people can become perfect by themselves, without needing special help from God. It says humans can follow God's rules and stay sinless just by choosing good.
2. Why did Augustine disagree with Pelagianism?Augustine said that after the Fall, people are naturally sinful and need God's help. He argued that humans cannot do good without God's special grace, which changes their will.

Theological Position: A systematic interpretation of religious doctrines concerning God and humanity's relationship with the divine.
Free Will: The philosophical concept that individuals have the capacity to make choices independent of external coercion or predetermined fate.
Divine Grace: The theological concept of God's unmerited favor or supernatural assistance, considered essential for salvation and spiritual enablement.
Original Sin: The doctrine asserting that humanity inherited a sinful nature and guilt from the disobedience of Adam and Eve.