This column is specifically about spirituality. Yes, I am a Reverend and I was trained in the Episcopal Church in England. Most Sundays you would find me in church conducting a service, but it was always spiritual in content. I’ve said in previous articles that I believe there is a difference between spirituality and religion; the difference cannot be stressed enough.

I’m saying this because I want to make reference to a book that influenced me as a young man, Mere Christianity, written by C.S.Lewis. Don’t let the Christianity in the title put you off; my emphasis is on the mere. The dictionary has a number of definitions for the word ‘mere’; my meaning is ‘being nothing more than what is specified’. This book is concerned with bringing to the public the actual teachings of a Jewish thinker whose words would eventually touch the world. It is not concerned with dogma or church ritual. The book’s popularity rested in its spiritual content.

I want to develop a spiritual theme from Pelagius’ thinking. Who is Pelagius? Well Pelagius was a monk He was born around 354 AD in the country of Wales, Britain. He was educated in both Greek and Latin, a monk but not a cleric; he was never an ordained priest. In his early years he was admired by no less a person than St. Augustine of Hippo, who called him “a saintly man”. When he moved to Rome he became concerned about the moral laxity in the city, believing it was partly the result of Augustine’s teaching concerning divine grace. He was particularly disturbed by a famous quotation from Augustine, “Give me what you command and command what you will”.

This saying disturbed Pelagius because he believed it discounted free will, turning man into a mere automaton. He soon became a noted critic of Augustine, disagreeing with him concerning original sin and the working of God’s grace in perfecting salvation. Pelagius argued that if human beings could only discipline themselves, in the way exemplified by Jesus, then they could remain perfect. His strong belief in grace involving human permission made him severe and extremely puritanical, emphasizing a strict discipleship to ensure moral purity. Not withstanding this zealousness, his theological position affirmed the power of the human condition and nature itself. However, the church sided with Augustine and Pelagius was denounced as a heretic in the Council of Carthage in 418. It is believed that Pelagius died in Palestine around 420.

He said that we were born perfect. He said that our creative power is given at our birth. Spirituality is given; we do not need to earn it. Period. This is mere Pelagius.

I’ve always felt that having a spiritual insight into who we are enables us to be practical; it helps us make sense of our lives and this world. How? Well, by our choices, we are able to create success or endure failure. The idea of ‘grace’ becomes something that we polish in the way we live our lives, not something that is magically bestowed upon us. Pelagius is clearly saying, and I agree with him, that all we need to be successful has been given. Now, get on with your life!

Augustine of Hippo’s idea of the human being born in sin, or birthed fallen or broken, is cast aside. We are enough.

And this is the secret that is now being talked about; and yet most people do not know this, hence, the secret. They think that without God’s grace being bestowed upon us, we can do nothing, achieve nothing, create nothing. The religious codependency that has been around for hundreds of years is now confronted; we, as human beings, are born with spiritual power. This is mere Pelagius.

Let’s just take one issue that many people battle with or seek: self esteem. If you were told from being a child that you were sinful, depraved, then you can hardly feel good about yourself. If you were told that without God’s grace you can achieve nothing, then you could feel helpless, waiting for the grace to be given. All esteem is diverted to God, never to you.

I meet so many people who think it is arrogant or prideful to suggest that you can achieve something in your life. They even suggest that we should get out of the way. Let God do the driving. Or, because they feel so dysfunctional, whatever they may think to do, they should do the opposite.

And yet how does this make any sense? Why would we have a brain, the capacity to think, if we were not to use it? And who has ever been successful who has not been involved in their lives? Descartes famous sentence: Cogito, ergo sum: I think, therefore I am.

Pelagius was condemned as a heretic in the 5^th century but his spirit lives on in many spiritual teachers today, even if they have never heard him. More and more people are drifting away from Augustine of Hippo’s teaching and moving towards Pelagius beliefs which are:

• Human beings are born perfect.

• Human beings co-create the good life in partnership with God.

• We don’t seek God’s grace, rather we reflect it.

What a powerful message to deliver to those who are broken or feel lost in the cacophony of life!

I loved watching the detective series, Dragnet, when I was a young man: “Just give me the facts, Ma’am.” And Pelagius’ spiritual teachings are the facts we were never given. Some even drifted away from spirituality because they had heard such bleak and depressing religious messages growing up.

Now we are returning home. We are more than willing to take responsibility for our thoughts and actions. We are not seeking magical tricks. We willingly partner with Spirit, Higher Power or God for a better world.

And, yes, we have self-esteem.