Comprehensive Study of the Mutual Influence & the Historical Perspective of the Development of Pelagian Theological Thought

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00125
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 01040:History of thought-related
• Research Institution: Nanzan University
• Principal Investigator: YAMADA Nozomu 南山大学, 総合政策学部, 教授 (70279967)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ペラギウス論争 / ペラギウス / ペラギウス派 / アウグスティヌス / ドナトゥス派 / 異端 / 東方神学 / 影響史

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Pelagian theology inherits the Antiochian tradition's view of man in Eastern theology. However, in the general framework of the theological thought, there is also influence from the mainstream school Origen and, in theological practice, from the even more different Basil. From the perspective of mutual influence and developmental history, this is not a contradiction in terms, and after Origen was accused of heresy, the Pelagians developed their thought as an alternative to Eastern thought, taking Antiochian tradition and Basil and others as their models. On the other hand, the Augustinian camp, which had rejected them, became more radical in its ideology, denying free will and advocating the theory of Original Sin, due to its opposition to Origen and the Pelagians. Finally, the new methodology of the influence and the historical perspective of the development of Pelagian theological thought, which was adopted for this research, has clearly contributed a lot for the Pelagian study.

Free Research Field

思想史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

従来、全く別個の神学論争として見なされていたオリゲネス論争、ドナトゥス論争、ペラギウス論争、そしてネストリオス論争といった古代教会史上の神学論争間の思想史的関連にとって、対立する陣営間の人脈関係を元に、その間に働いていた相互影響・発達史的観点に基づく新たな方法論の導入がきわめて有効に働いた。これらは本来別個の神学論争だったのではなく、各々の陣営がお互いに影響し合いながら自らの神学思想をより先鋭化されたものへと発展させていったことが明らかとなった。また、男性中心の論争の背後で、女性信徒による孤児救済の慈善活動が行われていたとの新たな事実も見出され、思想史上の空白部分を埋める学術的成果が得られた。