AUGUSTINE AND PELAGIUS ON HOLINESS AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

Recent scholarship has revived the ancient argument that Augustine's theology was not so far from Pelagius as he wanted his readers to think. This article compares the two thinkers on the issue of holiness. Drawing only on completely extant works intended for sympathetic audiences--rather than on works that were primarily polemical--this essay characterizes the views of both thinkers on three questions: First, what does holiness look like? Second, what is God's role in our holiness? Lastly, to what extent is progress in holiness possible? This comparison displays areas of overlap in their perspectives that challenge conventional stereotypes but also helps pinpoint the crux of the contrast between their articulations of the preconditions and possibilities for holiness in the Christian life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]