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What did Jansenism teach about free will and divine grace?
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Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal, oil painting by an anonymous artist, c. 1650; in the Musée Carnavalet–Histoire de Paris, Paris. Pascal laid the foundation for probability theory.
Jansenism was a 17th-century religious movement that emerged within the Roman Catholic Church as a form of Augustinianism. It sought to address the theological tension between human freedom and divine grace by emphasizing the absolute necessity of the latter.12
Regarding free will and grace, Jansenism taught the following:
- Human Nature and Sin: Followers believed that original sin caused an innate depravity in humanity, severely damaging human nature and leaving individuals unable to attain salvation through their own efforts or good works.12
- Divine Grace: Jansenists argued that divine grace is the sole means of restoring humanity to true freedom. They emphasized the infallible efficacy of this grace and maintained that it is required for any good act.12
- Free Will and Predestination: The movement was often accused of rejecting the reality of free will. It supported the concept of predestination, viewing it as an absolutely arbitrary act of God, and insisted that grace—rather than human merit—is the key to salvation.12
These views were famously defended by Blaise Pascal in his Les Provinciales, where he advocated for a spiritual approach centered on the soul's union with God.3