Systemic Problems of Definition and Classification

Abstract

This chapter is a survey of attempts to define ‘Pelagianism’ and attempts to produce criteria by which a ‘Pelagian’ text can be identified, showing that all of them have failed. It examines the circular reasoning that has propped up the notion of ‘Pelagianism’ and discusses two anonymous ascetic texts that are test cases for the notion of ‘Pelagianism’ and which reveal its incoherence, showing that Pelagius’ writings are not differentiable from other ascetic literature. .