Augustine and Sovereign Grace
This article by Rev. Angus Stewart examines Augustine's foundational theological contributions to the doctrine of sovereign grace and eternal, unconditional election, arguing that Augustine was the first to develop a comprehensive doctrine of grace in the post-apostolic church. Stewart traces how Augustine's personal conversion experience and biblical reflection led him to articulate grace as God's sovereign, free, and unmerited benefit to the elect, laying crucial groundwork for later Reformed covenant theology. The piece is part of a larger series exploring how early church dogmas and patristic theology formed the basis for Reformed doctrinal development.
Rev. Angus Stewart (Slightly modified from an article first published in the British Reformed Journal) So far in our series, we have seen that the early church in her dogmas of the Trinity and the Person and natures of Christ laid foundations for the doctrine of the covenant. She also used the covenant as a basis for both the unity of the Bible and the unity of the church of all ages. The church fathers did speak of salvation in organic terms and even occasionally spoke of fellowship with...