HIST-308 Lecture Notes - Lecture 63: Pelagianism, Philip Melanchthon
7 Apr 2020
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He made it back to wittenberg and mostly succeeded in restoring civil order. As the 1520s progressed, he mounted a new round of publications. They were aimed at securing his theological positions: erasmus against luther. In 1524, erasmus wrote his diatribe against luther. Also called his de libero arbitrio or on free choice. In this text, erasmus aimed to counter luther"s argument in favour of grace over and above any free choice: erasmus" approach. Not to disprove luther"s argument in its entirety. Erasmus didn"t want to offer a robust defense of free choice for 2 reasons: it"s very difficult, it may be pelagian, erasmus" skepticism. He suggested that christianity is not a religion of dogmatic assertions. It is a religion of piety: erasmus against assertions. Cloaking himself in his works, he refused to assert much against luther. He simply implied luther might have suggested too much in his pro grace and predestination writings.
