Review: St. Augustine Defender of the Faith
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 3, 2012
This an interesting presentation of St. Augustine's treatise On Grace and Free Will. The first part is an introduction to the historical context of the Pelagian controversy that plagued the early church. St. Augustine believed man could not attain perfection , salvation or anything good apart from God's grace. Pelagius believed man could attain perfection by his own free will and thereby gain salvation.The reader is presented with both sides of the battle. But St. Augustine was ready, armed with an excellent knowledge of inspired scripture and a sharp intellect; he battled Pelagius and his followers. St. Augustine proved to be a great defender of the faith.The second part of the book is the treatise On Grace and Free will.Here are St. Augustine's timeless beliefs as relevant today as when he first wrote them. His use of scripture is both refreshing and inspiring.Pelagianism is an old heresy that is still around today in one form or another.I recommend this book as guide to help the faithful to beware of the false doctrine of reaching perfection and salvation apart from God's grace in Christ Jesus.