Many years ago I read of Pelagius somewhere in the work of Anthony Burgess. I cannot recall the book or the passage in question, but I read all his novels avidly and the Pelagius/Augustine opposition, not always expressed in those terms, is an enduring theme.
The argument between Pelagius and Augustine is the first appearance in history of a question still not definitively answered: are humans potentially perfectible or irredeemably corrupt? Your response to this question is often a marker for where you stand on the liberal/conservative axis.
My motive in writing ‘Heresy’ was firstly to give a voice to an underdog, someone who had been misinterpreted in his life and defamed ever since. However, in researching the story I came to see that the rejection of Pelagianism was a crucial turning point in European history.
The ideas of Augustine have always held the upper hand, but it might be fun to imagine a world in which he is a mere historical footnote, and Pelagius reigns.
The argument between Pelagius and Augustine is the first appearance in history of a question still not definitively answered: are humans potentially perfectible or irredeemably corrupt? Your response to this question is often a marker for where you stand on the liberal/conservative axis.
My motive in writing ‘Heresy’ was firstly to give a voice to an underdog, someone who had been misinterpreted in his life and defamed ever since. However, in researching the story I came to see that the rejection of Pelagianism was a crucial turning point in European history.
The ideas of Augustine have always held the upper hand, but it might be fun to imagine a world in which he is a mere historical footnote, and Pelagius reigns.
RSS Feed
