Podcasts about zosimus

In this episode, we explore a troubling trend among certain corners of modern Protestantism: the revival of ancient heresies long condemned by the Church. At the center of our discussion is Pelagius, the 5th-century British monk whose denial of original sin and distortion of grace led to one of the most decisive theological battles in Christian history.We'll unpack Pelagius's core teachings, examine Augustine's powerful response, and trace how this controversy culminated in the Council of Ephesus (431), where Pelagianism was formally condemned as heresy. Along the way, we'll consider how various popes weighed in on the controversy, especially Innocent I and Zosimus, and reflect on how some contemporary theological movements are unknowingly echoing these same ancient errors.This isn't just about history—it's about doctrine, grace, and the ongoing need for theological clarity. If the Church has already fought these battles, why are we dancing with heretics again today?If you'd like to donate to our ministry or be a monthly partner that receives newsletters and one on one discussions with Dr. Boyce, here's a link: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7 ⸻#Pelagius #Pelagianism #OriginalSin #Augustine #CouncilOfEphesus #ChurchHistory #AncientHeresies #ProtestantTheology #ModernHeresy #ReclaimOrthodoxy #DancingWithHeretics #Soteriology #PopesOnPelagius #ChristianDoctrine #HistoricalTheology

On this month's episode of Magic and Medicines, Eleanor is guiding us through the history of Alchemy, from turning base metals into gold to the truth behind the Philosopher's Stone to much more besides!We start off talking about how several traditions we might recognise as 'Alchemy' grew up in isolation in the ancient world, including in Ancient China, Ancient Greece, and across the Middle East.From the supposed works of Hermes Trismigestus via Zosimus of Panopolis (who may actually be a hippopotamus in disguise) and other influential forefathers of Alchemy, including Mary The Copt - whose inventions are still being used today - we dig into the core principles of Alchemy: using Materialist magic to reshape reality.Through the Renaissance, via John Dee, Cornelius Agrippa, and absolutely not Nicolas Flamel, it is not until the Enlightenment that the entire tradition hits the skids. But why? And how did 'Chemistry' split off from 'Alchemy,' forcing its forebear into obscurity? Then, what about those people who still advocated for Alchemy through the 20th century and into the modern day? Could they possibly be believing in scientific processes that are only now being proved possibly principally correct?It's a fascinating topic, and one of the 'Big Ones' in the story of magic, so let's reorder some elemental nodes together, bring the humours into alliance, and see if we can't maybe all get filthy stinking rich with the knowledge theoretically gifted to us by our ancestors' angel husbands...Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcast Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent Saint of the Day: St. Rufus; Rufus and Zosimus were natives of either Antioch or Philippi; they were brought to Rome with Ignatius of Antioch during the reign of Emperor Trajan, and were condemned to death for their Christianity; they were thrown to wild beasts in the arena two days before the martyrdom of Ignatius Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 12/18/24 Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25

Catholic Drive Time - 877-757-9424 Date – Friday, March 31st - 2023 – St. Mary of Egypt Saint Mary of Egypt is celebrated on April 2nd for her remarkable conversion and life of penance. Born in Egypt, Mary became a public woman in Alexandria at the age of 12 and continued for 17 years before being moved by a force preventing her from entering the church during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. She realized her impure life prevented her from seeing the life-giving cross and begged the Virgin Mary to obtain forgiveness for her sins, promising to renounce the world and live in chastity. With a renewed sense of hope, Mary crossed the Jordan and lived in the desert for 47 years, enduring extreme deprivation and temptations until her complete victory over them by the grace of God. A chance meeting with St. Zosimus led to her first reception of Holy Communion, which she had not received since her conversion. She asked him to bury her body in the sand when she passed away, which he did, and an inscription in the sand was found by her head. St. Mary of Egypt is a remarkable example of how no one is beyond redemption, and how true contrition and penance can lead to sainthood. St. Mary of Egypt, Pray for us. INTRO – Good morning Happy Friday 9 Service Members Dead After Two Black Hawk Helicopters Crash In Kentucky And – at 15 past the hour, I'm accused of being not in line with Catholic teaching Also – at 30 past the hour, Gabriel Castillo will be on to discuss Our Lady of Sorrows The Virgo Pater O JOSEPH, virgin father of JESUS, most pure spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray for us daily to the SON of GOD, that, armed with the weapons of his grace, we may fight as we ought in life, and be crowned by Him in death. Ant. Behold the faithful and prudent servant whom the LORD set over his house. V/. Pray for us, holy Joseph. R/. That we may be made worthy of the promises of CHRIST. Adrian Social Media IG: @ffonze Twitter: @AdrianFonze Facebook: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Catholic Conversations Tito Social Media Twitter: @TitoEdwards Rudy Social Media IG: @ydursolrac YouTube: Glad Trad Podcast Visit our website to learn more about us, find a local GRN radio station, a schedule of our programming and so much more. http://grnonline.com/

Walking with the Saints Podcast | Feast of St. Mary Of Egypt, Patron Saint Of Women Penitent l April 1 Our saint for today may not be familiar to many of us, but her life became the subject of popular literary works in the past centuries: three operas, two long dramas, two novels and two long poems. The source of information was her biography, written by St. Sophronius, a patriarch of Jerusalem; therefore they aretrustworthy. The underlying theme of the story is the sincere repentance of a sinner and God's limitless mercy to those who repent. Nothing is said about theearly life of St. Mary, except that she was born in 344 and at twelve years old, she ran away from home and went to Alexandria to make an adventure. Unfortunately, she became a prostitute, offering herself to the men around. She enjoyed the comforts and pleasures of the sexual act and at times would even return the money the men paid her. One day, she heard about a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and she was attracted to join it. When they arrived, she went her own way and like many others, she wanted to enter a church. When she tried, however, a strong unseen force blocked her. She tried and tried but could not really enter. In those moments, she became aware of herself and her sinful life which she thought was the reason why she could not go inside the church. She looked at the wooden Cross at the altar and the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and she began to weep. She prayed and promised to stop displeasing God with her sins and would make penance for them. At this point, she was able to enter the church. Remembering the incomprehensible mercy of God, she kissed the floor and cried bitterly. She turned to the Mother of God and asked her to lead her to a holy life. Then she seemed to have heard these words: “If you go beyond Jordan, you will find rest and comfort.” Mary immediately left the church and took the road leading to Jordan. She found the church of John the Baptist which stood at the bank of the rivers. She looked for a priest and confessed her sins. She received Holy Communion at Mass and after a while left Jordan. She ran and looked for the desert and decided to stay there the rest of her life. In fact, she lived there for forty-seven years, living in prayer, solitude and prayer. When she was nearing death, she met Zosimus, a holy monk to whom she related all the events in her life. She also made a good confession and received the Body of Christ. It was Holy Thursday. Before they parted, Mary made a request if the holy monk could return the following year, on Holy Thursday so she could again receive Holy Communion. The monk was just happy to agree. After one year, when Zosimus returned to the place where he met Mary, he was dismayed to find her corpse lying on the ground with the inscription of her name and the date of her death. She must have died on that same day. Many authors believe that it was on the year 421. Today, she is honored as the patron saint of women penitent and her feast day is celebrated on April 1st.  Virtue: humility,honesty, faith, hope, penitence, courage, commitment, patience, fortitude  Prayer: “St. Mary of Egypt help us to avoid the occasions of sin and guide us to live a pure life.        

We fill in some of the historical, cultural, and economic background of Zosimus' life and practice with Shannon Grimes. Come for the economics of metallurgy and ancient Egyptian trade-guilds, stay for the living statues.

We further explore the thought of Zosimus of Panopolis with Dr Bink Hallum, whose PhD research centred on the Arabic Zosimean corpus. We cover the basic (if confusing) textual situation, and then discuss astral influences, daimones and demons, mysterious talismans, Enochic ideas, and much more.

We discuss the life, work, and thought of Zosimus of Panopolis, greatest alchemist of late antiquity, with Professor Matteo Martelli. All is One!

Zosimos of Panopolis (also known by Zosimus Alchemista, i.e. "Zosimus the Alchemist") was a Greco-Egyptian alchemist and Gnostic mystic who lived at the end of the 3rd and beginning of the 4th century AD. He was born in Panopolis (present day Akhmim, in the south of Roman Egypt), and flourished ca. 300. He wrote the oldest known books on alchemy, which he called "Cheirokmeta," using the Greek word for "things made by hand." Zosimos provided one of the first definitions of alchemy as the study of "the composition of waters, movement, growth, embodying and disembodying, drawing the spirits from bodies and bonding the spirits within bodies." In general, Zosimos' understanding of alchemy reflects the influence of Hermetic and Gnostic spiritualities. He asserted that the fallen angels taught the arts of metallurgy to the women they married, an idea also recorded in the Book of Enoch and later repeated in the Gnostic Apocryphon of John. Check out my Alchemy designs at https://teepublic.sjv.io/qnv4Xj Please consider supporting my work and download this audio as part of the ESOTERIC AND OCCULT WISDOM - MASTER COLLECTION (an ongoing collection of Gnostic, alchemical, Hermetic, and related occult/spiritual audio projects that span dozens of hours) at https://altrusiangrace.bandcamp.com/ *JOIN MY PATREON at https://www.patreon.com/altrusiangracemedia *BECOME A YOUTUBE CHANNEL MEMBER at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMzRTOugvDLwhSwJdoSWBZA/join *JOIN THE CULT OF STARRY WISDOM at https://altrusiangrace.bandcamp.com/starry-wisdom-cult *FOLLOW THE AGM PODCAST at https://altrusiangracemedia.podbean.com *MY TSHIRTS AND DESIGNS ON AMAZON at https://amzn.to/3peS9j3 *MY NEW 2022 MERCH LINE "OCCULT NOUVEAU" at https://amzn.to/3OeUHZL *MY TSHIRTS AND DESIGNS ON TEEPUBLIC at https://teepublic.sjv.io/XxvPDX *LICENSE MY MUSIC FOR YOUR PROJECT at https://www.pond5.com/artist/altrusiangracemedia *MY BOOKS ON AMAZON at https://amzn.to/3oQGh6A As an Amazon Associate I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases and it helps to support my channel. Please consider LIKING the video, SUBSCRIBING to the channel, and SHARING the links! These simple actions go a long way in supporting AGM and is truly appreciated!  ~~Places to follow and support Altrusian Grace Media~~ Website ► https://altrusiangrace.blogspot.com/ Bandcamp ► https://altrusiangrace.bandcamp.com Teepublic Store ► https://teepublic.sjv.io/XxvPDX Twitter ► https://twitter.com/AltrusianGrace Rumble ► https://rumble.com/c/c-375437 YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/AltrusianGraceMedia Odessy ► https://odysee.com/@altrusiangracemedia:1 Bitchute ► https://www.bitchute.com/channel/altrusiangracemedia/ To kindly donate directly to my channel: www.paypal.me/altrusiangrace For inquiries regarding voice-over work or licensing for my work (including music) please contact altrusiangracemedia ((at)) gmail.com AGM BACKUP CONTENT ► https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO0nCG5aqB1CHyU3Xf0TUbg #Gnosticism #Alchemy #Hermeticism #Occult #Esoteric #Audiobook #Mysticism #Gnostic #Egyptian #Christianity #NagHammadi #Spirituality #Jung

Subconscious Realms Episode 35 - Alchemy - The Mad Hatter. Ladies & Gentlemen, it's a true Honour indeed that we have such an Incredible opportunity to have the Phenomenal - The Mad Hatter, an Extraordinary Individual For Sure. Now, Hands-Down Alchemy has to be one of the most Fascinating subject's Period. Alchemy encompasses several philosophical traditions spanning some four millennia & 3 continents. These traditions' general penchant for cryptic & symbolic language makes it hard to trace their mutual influences & "genetic" relationships. One can distinguish at least three major strands, which appear to be mostly independent, at least in their earlier stages: Chinese alchemy, centered in China; Indian alchemy, centered on the Indian subcontinent; & Western alchemy, which occurred around the Mediterranean & whose center has shifted over the millennia from Greco-Roman Egypt to the Islamic world & finally medieval Europe. Chinese alchemy was closely connected to Taoism & Indian alchemy with the Dharmic faiths. In contrast, Western alchemy developed its philosophical system mostly independent of but influenced by various Western religions. It is still an open question whether these three strands share a common origin, or to what extent they influenced each other. The start of Western alchemy may generally be traced to ancient & Hellenistic Egypt, where the city of Alexandria was a center of alchemical knowledge & retained its pre-eminence through most of the Greek & Roman periods. Following the work of André-Jean Festugière, modern scholars see alchemical practice in the Roman Empire as originating from the Egyptian goldsmith's art, Greek philosophy & different religious traditions. Tracing the origins of the alchemical art in Egypt is complicated by the pseudepigraphic nature of texts from the Greek alchemical corpus. The treatises of Zosimos of Panopolis, the earliest historically attested author (fl. c. 300 CE), can help in situating the other authors. Zosimus based his work on that of older alchemical authors, such as Mary the Jewess. Pseudo-Democritus, Agathodaimon, but very little is known about any of these authors. The most complete of their works, The Four Books of Pseudo-Democritus, were probably written in the first century AD. Alchemy, in particular this episode, basically get your Mind deep into that Cosmic Dimension, have it wide open & Embrace the Oncoming Onslaught. The info alone will Bend your Mind Inside-Out for sure. * Mad Hatter - IG # @hatter_will_happen * "It all makes sense now. This place is magnification, concentration, purification. Now the world goes black. I see my reflection in a pool of blood. I kiss it all goodbye" *Email - subconsciousrealms@gmail.com Twitter # @SubconRealms33 Instagram # @subconscious_realms33 https://anchor.fm/subconscious-realms/subscribe   Discord @-subconscious-Realms!

This month we look into the history of alchemy and the worldview and aims of early alchemists.  Find out how metal gets married, why poisons are good and how humans reflect the entire universe.    Transcript: ‘From a man and a woman make a circle, then a square, then a triangle, finally a circle, and you will obtain the philosopher's stone.' Hello, welcome to the History and Folklore podcast, where we look at different folk beliefs through history and how these beliefs shape people's perceptions of nature. In this episode we will be looking at alchemy, what alchemists were hoping to achieve, and what alchemical theories can tell us about how people perceived the natural world. Alchemists are often depicted as eccentric men in dark rooms conducting strange experiments with toxic and expensive chemicals with the aim of living forever or of turning lead into gold. Their experiments are often seen as being haphazard, illogical and dangerous, a stereotype that goes back a long way as seen in a legend regarding Roger Bacon and Thomas Bungay, thirteenth century friars who apparently blew themselves up in an alchemy experiment. This story was later adapted to the stage in a comedy written by sixteenth century playwright Robert Greene. However, alchemy has a complex history and the observations and experiments of alchemists around the world have helped shape our understanding of chemistry, metallurgy and medicine. It is believed that the origins of alchemy stretch back to ancient Egypt, with Plutarch describing alchemy as ‘the Egyptian art'. It has been argued that the ‘chem' part of the word alchemy derives from the Egyptian word ‘km', which meant the black land, a term used to differentiate between the black fertile soil of the Nile valley and the barren desert sand that surrounded it. Assuming this origin, the arabic word ‘al-kimiya' was claimed by Egyptologist EA Wallis Budge to mean ‘the Egyptian science', however this origin has been refuted by others who claim that there is no evidence of the word ‘kmt' ever being used for anything resembling alchemy in Egypt, and it is therefore likely that this supposed translation is a case of folk etymology, where a well-known similar sounding words are erroneously linked. Others point toward alchemy having a Greek origin, arguing that the ‘chem' portion of alchemy originates from the Greek word ‘chemia', which first appeared in the fourth century and was used to refer to the art of metalworking, particularly the creation of gold and silver from base metals. It is clear that the influences of alchemy are varied, and draw from a mixture of technology, philosophy and science from areas and cultures as wide ranging as Iran, India, Egypt and Greece. Metal workers in Egypt were highly skilled and were known to be able to create alloys that mimicked the appearance of gold and silver. They also created a body of knowledge that grouped metals according to their external characteristics which was built on their experience of working with them. As well as this, the city of Alexandria became an intellectual hub and, following the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great in 330BC, attracted scholars from across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, allowing different ideas to develop and merge. Two theories that developed during this period were particularly influential in the formation of later alchemical practice. The first was Aristotle's theory on the composition of matter, which adopted an older idea that everything was made up of the four elements of earth, air, fire and water, and built on it by hypothesising that these elements could be changed by the application of heat, cold, wetness or dryness. The second was a philosophy that originated in Persia and claimed that the human body was a smaller version, the microcosm, of the larger universe, the macrocosm. The microcosm-macrocosm theory claimed that the study of the universe would give direct insight into the workings of the human body, and vice versa. Therefore techniques that worked for the manipulation of metal could be applied in the same way, and to the same effect, on the human body. As the universe was a macrocosm of the body it followed that it must also be alive and in possession of a soul. This is interesting as, as we will see later, the process of transmutation of metal was often described and understood in human terms of birth, marriage and death. Alexandria's influence eventually waned with the disintegration of the Roman Empire. The destruction of many texts from this period mean that none of the original Egyptian writing regarding alchemy survives from this time. However, at least some of the theories and practices developed by alchemists and philosophers during this period did survive and were translated into Arabic by scholars and alchemists such as Ali Ibn Sina, Jabir Ibn Hayyan and Abu Bakr Al-Razi, who built on these existing ideas to create a thriving body of alchemical work and thought in the Middle East. This eventually made its way to Spain, and from there to the rest of western and central Europe, with the first alchemical text titled ‘the book of the Composition of Alchemy' being translated into English in 1144 by Robert of Chester. Despite these wide ranging origins, a legend concerning the origins of alchemy was particularly tenacious. This concerned an emerald tablet, apparently found by Alexander the Great himself in the tomb of a god named Hermes-Thoth, Hermes Trismeditus or Thrice-great Hermes. This emerald tablet, also known as the Smaragdine Tablet, was seen by alchemists to be the foundation of their craft, leading alchemy to become known as the ‘hermetic art' after the god that created it. While this would be an amazing origin story, the text that was apparently found on the emerald tablet actually seems to appears much later. It was first seen in Arabic sources in the late eighth century and eventually came to be translated to Latin in the twelfth century. This text outlines the philosophy of alchemy through an overarching metaphor of the creation of the world, saying: ‘Truth! Certainty! That in which there is no doubt! That which is above is from that which is below, and that which is below is from that which is above, working the miracles of one. As all things were from One. Its father is the Sun and its mother the Moon. The Earth carried it in her belly, and the Wind nourished it in her belly, as Earth which shall become Fire. Feed the Earth from that which is subtle, with the greatest power. It ascends from the earth to the heaven and becomes ruler over that which is above and that which is below.' This text is significant, as it highlights the underlying concepts of alchemy - that of the microcosm and macrocosm and of the interconnectedness of all things. It also uses common metaphors for certain metals and alchemical processes that were used in the written codes of later alchemists, as we shall touch on later. In the West, alchemy had two main aims, to purify and transmute base metals into gold and to purify and transform the individual into a physically healthier, enlightened being. These two apparently disparate goals were believed to be entirely achievable through the same processes due to the connection between the microcosm and the macrocosm. . While some alchemists strove to achieve both of these goals, in England most alchemists were predominantly concerned with transmuting base metals into gold and silver, partly because the discovery of gold in the South America by the Spanish, combined with the need to fund ongoing wars against Europe drove a desire to find a more easily accessible source of wealth. This led to a number of fraudsters covering small amounts of gold with a substance that would dissolve in a demonstration, giving the appearance of true transmutation. This became so much of a problem that the Crown restricted the conducting of alchemical experiments through a system of royal licences. Those hoping to achieve actual transmutation tended to use the work of eighth century alchemist Jabir Ibn Hayyan, particularly his theory on the qualities of the four elements of earth, air, fire and water. He claimed that each element had two for four basic qualities which he stated was hot, cold, dry and wet, so fire was hot and dry, air hot and wet, earth, cold and dry and water cold and wet. He went on to analyse different metals, claiming that every metal had a combination of these four principles, two being interior and two being exterior. Therefore, if someone was able to change these qualities, they would be able to change the metal itself. The basis of all metals was believed to be mercury. In its perfect state mercury was known as ‘philosopher's mercury' and was said to be the first metal to ever have existed. Sulphur in its purest state was called ‘Philosopher's Sulphur', a substance said to be related to elemental fire. When combined, it was believed that the Philosopher's Sulphur would act as fire, working like a blacksmith's furnace to transform the Philosopher's Mercury, which would imbue its metallic essence into the gold. The idea that fire was the element needed to achieve transmutation came from observations of fire's effect on mercury, as it caused the metal to dull and turn light red in colour. As nothing was known about oxidation at this time, it was logical to conclude that  fire was responsible for the change. It is clear that many of the overarching beliefs surrounding the transmutation of metals comes from experience, observation and experimentation. The Liber Sacerdotum, translated from Arabic into Latin described how a lead ore known as Galena, loses sulphur when heated, leaving the more malleable and fusible lead. As in this experiment heating the metal produced a more useful and superior metal, it would be logical to assume that heating it further could lead to the production of silver and even gold. Interestingly, Galena also tends to contain a significant amount of silver, which did actually separate from the lead upon further heating, thus supporting the theory of transmutation. It was believed that transmutation of base metals into gold could only be achieved through the mean of an elixir which when added to Philosopher's Mercury and Philosopher's Sulphur would work to rearrange the properties of these two metals. The master elixir that alchemists were working to create through a process often referred to as the ‘Great Work' was the Philosopher's Stone. Zosimus, in the sixth century, described it as ‘a stone which is not a stone, a precious thing that has no value, a thing of many colours and shapes. This unknown that is known to all.' Descriptions of the Philosopher's Stone vary but it was most commonly said to appear as a red powder that had the ability to transform base metal into gold, common gemstones into diamonds, heal all illnesses, strengthen morality, increase wisdom and prolong the life of any who consumes a small quantity of it. As well as purifying metals, it was believed to be able to purify people, spiritually, physically and intellectually, transmuting an imperfect human into a perfect being. -> There were many theories and descriptions regarding the process of creating a Philosopher's Stone. Some believed that it could be created through the purification of an ordinary substance, such as hair, eggs, plants, rocks or metals. Others believed that certain mythical elements such as alkahest or carmot. Descriptions of the creation of the stone include a series of colour changes, or a series of up to twelve chemical processes that included calcination, dissolution, putrefaction, fermentation  and multiplication. There have been a number of claims that the Philosopher's Stone has been discovered by different people through history, the most famous being the French scribe Nicolas Flamel, whose wealth led to rumours that he was a successful alchemist. The earliest alchemist rumoured to have discovered caput mortuum, a substance believed to be the first step to the creation of the Philosopher's Stone was an individual known as Mary the Jewess or Miriam the Prophetess, said by later historians to have lived in Alexandria some time between the first and third centuries, and one of the twelve sages of alchemy. None of her original work survives, leading to questions as to whether she was a real or mythological individual, or a combination of different figures in the study of early alchemy, but she is credited with the creation of a number of inventions including the bain marie, which she gave her name to. The Greek historian Zosimos referenced Miriam extensively, often directly quoting her in his work. In this, Miriam often describes metals as living beings with bodies, souls and spirits. She regarded metals as having a sex and believed that joining together metals of two different sexes would lead to the creation of a new metal, stating ‘join the male and the female, and you will find what is sought. Alchemists often imbued inorganic matter such as metals with human or animal qualities, which is entirely understandable within the microcosm-macrocosm worldview. The joining of substances was often depicted as a marriage or coupling, while the creation of a new metal was seen as a birth. The Philosopher's Stone was seen as being similar to a seed or an egg, the starting point of growth and creation. Alongside the idea of the birth of metals, there was a co-existing concept of transmutation being the death and resurrection of metals, which linked to popular beliefs of the afterlife. Humans had to die and undergo pain and torture, often by fire, in purgatory, before they could be born again as perfect humans into eternal life. These concepts are most obvious in the codes used by alchemists to conceal their work from outsiders, both to protect their research and to protect untrained individuals from the dangerous processes of alchemy. In these the combination of sulphur and mercury is expressed as a marriage or union. As in the text of the emerald tablet, Philosopher's Sulphur is often depicted as the sun, while Philosopher's Mercury is the moon, and these are often shown as being the father and mother of the philosopher's stone. Celestial symbols to refer to metals and processes were very common, as it was believed the movement of stars and planets had a real impact on events and actions of people on earth. A common symbol referenced in the quote at the start of this episode was a circle drawn around a man and a woman, symbolising the union of feminine and masculine. This would be surrounded by a triangle to depict the three primary principles of sulphur, mercury and salt, a square to represent the four elements and finally a circle to represent the universe or the Philosopher's Egg, another name for the Philosopher's Stone. Given that humans and metals were considered to be a reflection of each other it is unsurprising that people started to turn towards alchemy as a means of medicine. The Swiss Physician Paracelsus was one of the first medical professionals to argue that a knowledge of chemistry was essential to the development of medicine, stating ‘many have said of Alchemy, that it is for the making of gold and silver. For me such is not the aim, but to consider only what virtue and power may lie in medicines.' Paracelsus built on the concept of the human body as the microcosm of the macrocosm universe  to argue that humans needed a specific balance of minerals to survive, and that illnesses could be cured by chemical remedies. He rejected the popular theory of medicine that had been introduced by Galen, that the body relied on a balance of the four humours of phlegm, balck bile, yellow bile and blood and that disease was caused by an imbalance of humours. Instead, he drew from medieval alchemical practice to argue that the human body actually needed the correct balance of three humours, changeable mercury, stable salt and combustible sulphur. These three elements were also reflected within the makeup of humans - salt represented the body, mercury the spirit and sulphur the soul. Paracelsus argued that disease was caused by the separation of one of these elements from the other two due to contaminating poisons. Instead of trying to balance internal humours to treat disease, he argued that like was needed to cure like and the poison that caused the disease could be used to cure it. This theory was incredibly controversial with those who followed the humoural theory of medicine who saw the ingestion of metals and minerals as being extremely dangerous. Paracelsus, however, was adamant that it was the dosage, and not the substance, that made the poison, and that the aim was to use these to purefy the body. Although this explanation of disease proved to be ultimately incorrect investigation, Paracelsus' use of alchemy marked a shift away from humoural theory of medicine and natural remedies to practices that are still used to this day including chemical medicines, an emphasis on dosage of medicine and chemical urinalysis to diagnose disease. Paracelsus' inventions and discoveries are a just few examples that have been gained through the study of alchemy. While some of the assumptions of alchemists seem irrational and superstitious to modern audiences, such as animism, the interconnectedness of the universe and the belief that a single substance can help achieve both gold and immortality, many of these beliefs stemmed from a lack of knowledge or technology that was eventually filled with the aid of the work of alchemists. There is a consistent logic that runs through the process of alchemy, making it difficult to argue that alchemists were entirely irrational. Although flawed, it is clear that the work of alchemists through the centuries has shaped modern scientific methods and have helped build current understanding of medicine, chemistry and the natural world. Thank you for listening to this episode of the History and Folklore podcast. I hope you enjoyed it and found it interesting. Special thanks goes to my patreons Andrew, Ryan, Morganu, Joseph, Robin, Becky, Eugenia, the Fairy Folk Podcast, Louise, Ben, John and David. Patrons help pay towards the cost of running the podcast and are hugely appreciated. If you would like to support the History and Folklore Podcast by becoming a patron tiers range from £1 -£3 and gets you early access to episodes, voting rights for episode topics and a monthly zine. You can also follow the podcast on Instagram at history and folklore, twitter at HistoryFolklore and Facebook at the History and Folklore podcast where I post hopefully interesting history and folklore facts pretty much daily and answer any questions or feedback.

Full Text of ReadingsHoly Thursday Lectionary: 260, 39All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is St. Mary of EgyptApril 1 is the feast of a little-known saint whose story demonstrates the power of the Church as the home of forgiveness, redemption and mercy. St. Mary of Egypt was a prostitute for 17 years before she received the Eucharist and chose the life of a hermit. Born in 344 A.D., Mary of Egypt moved to the city of Alexandria when she was 12 years old and worked as a prostitute. With the intention of continuing her trade, she joined a large group that was making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. On the feast day itself, she joined the crowd as it was headed to the church in order to venerate the relic of the True Cross, again with the intention of luring others into sin. When she got to the door of the church, she was unable to enter. A miraculous force propelled her away from the door each time she approached. After trying to get in three or four times, Mary of Egypt moved to a corner of the churchyard and began to cry tears of remorse. Then she saw a statue of the Blessed Virgin. She prayed to the Holy Mother for permission to enter the church for the purposes of venerating the relic. She promised the Virgin Mother that if she were allowed to enter the church, she would renounce the world and its ways. Mary of Egypt entered the church, venerated the relic and returned to the statue outside to pray for guidance. She heard a voice telling her to cross the Jordan River and find rest. She set out and in the evening, she arrived at the Jordan and received communion in a church dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The next day, she crossed the river and went into the desert, where she lived alone for 47 years. Then, while making his Lenten retreat, a priest named Zosimus found the hermitess. She asked him to return to the banks of the Jordan on Holy Thursday of the following year and to bring her Communion. The priest was true to his word and returned bearing the Eucharist. Mary told him to come back again the next year, but to the place where he had originally met her. When Zosimus returned in a years time, he found Marys corpse. On the ground beside it was a written request that she be buried accompanied by a statement that she had died one year ago, in 421 A.D., on the very night she had received Holy Communion. Saint of the Day Copyright CNA, Catholic News Agency

A new MP3 sermon from Alpha and Omega Ministries is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: A Tribute to Rushbo, Prayer for James Coates, Augustine and Zosimus Subtitle: The Dividing Line 2021 Speaker: Dr. James White Broadcaster: Alpha and Omega Ministries Event: Podcast Date: 2/18/2021 Length: 105 min.

Almost went two hours today -sorry--, but we went in depth in our response to Trent Horn on the subject of Augustine's allegedly saying, -Rome has spoken, the case is closed.- That took up the vast majority of our time -including looking at the -I would not believe the gospel except for the testimony of the Catholic Church- quote-, but at the start I explained why I am wearing a Rush Limbaugh -No Boundaries- tie as my tribute to El Rushbo, and then we took time to remember James Coates who sits in Canadian jail for daring to tell the Canadian government that it is not lord over Christ's Church.

Our pope this week was only in office a short time, but still managed to leave a mark that's resounded through the ages in battling one of early Christianity's most monumental heresies. He's also one of just three pontiffs in history to have a name that starts with the letter Z.

Per la serie di incontri Letture Filosofiche dell'Università di Bologna, il prof. Matteo Martelli legge e commenta Sogni Alchemici di Zosimus di Panopoli, Carl Gustav Jung

Michael and Craig discuss pre-schism heretical popes including Liberius, Zosimus, Hormisdas, Vigilius and Honorius.  

Pope Zosimus started his papacy with a Vegas style shotgun friendship, and it set the tone for everything to follow. In his episode, we discuss pel-la-lagirism and bad citations, what happens when decisions are hasty and uninformed, and what happens when you don't check your sources. It sounds like a class, but Zosimus really could have benefitted...

On Thursday May 22nd, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a review on a very important recent book on the Hermetic Tradition by Dutch author Jacob Slavenburg titled: "The Hermetic Link." Reviewing this book will be a team effort between the host and our esteemed guest Frater Ophis (Freeman Presson) who beat us to the punch and reviewed Slavenburg's book on his website two years ago. How did we miss it? No excuse because it should not have been missed. Certainly there have been other surveys of the Hermetic Tradition, usually combined with other related elements such as Kabbalah, Rosicrucianism, magick, etc. but this is the best and most complete tracing of the great Hermetic Gnosis from ancient Egypt, through Alexandria, Harran, the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the so-called "Enlightenment" and the present modern age. Slavenburg takes us from Zosimus to the Kybalion in a sympathetic, very thoughtful and comfortably philosophical style. He quotes Peter Kingsley ("Reality") frequently and does as good a job as Kingsley in getting across the deepest meaning of the Hermetic Mystery (the Great I AM) - perhaps he does it better in that he uses excerpts from Hermes to reveal the treasure we ardent Hermetic devotees hold so dear, whereas Kingsley in Reality depended on pre-Hermetic Parmenides and Empedocles. If all this is Greek to you, it shouldn't be and Slavenburg goes a long way toward establishing the true and enduring magnificence of our venerable Tradition. Tune in and get yourself Hermetically sealed. (Preserved for the next incarnation.)   

The best named pope of them all, and he has to take care of the Pelagians!

Presenting more of the back episodes of the History of the Catholic Church series no longer on the main podcast feed. Episodes in this volume: #424 – The Philosopher #425 – Rome has Spoken #426 – The Tractoria of Zosimus #427 – Julian of Eclanum #428 – The Father of Mysticism Subscribe to Catholic:Under The […]

Synopsis:  Zenobia’s armies successfully capture Arabia Petraea and Egypt.  The death of Claudius and his brother Quintillus pave the way for the Emperor Aurelian. “Zenobia began to think of extending her dominion, and therefore sent Zabdas into Egypt.” – Zosimus, The History “Nor was the […] The post Episode B48 – 270 first appeared on THE ANCIENT WORLD.

The stories of Simon Cleophas, Rufus and Zosimus, and the Ethiopian Eunuch Contact me at -martyrsmirrorpodcast@gmail.com More info - pilgrimministry.org Intro music by Altar of Praise Chorale www.altarofpraise.com

Welcome to MR, the podcast for beginners and insiders about the ideas, people and movements who have shaped rhetorical history. Today or rather, the day I wrote this, I got some bad news, so to make up for it, I get to talk about Jeffrey Walker, who is one of my favorite people ever, and I get to talk about one of my favorite books, too, his Genuine Teachers of This Art, subtitled Rhetorical Education in Antiquity.   Basically Walker’s arguing that rhetoric as a field is, at its very core, pedagogical. It’s not just practice of rhetoric or analysis of rhetoric, but that both of these really come into being through the teaching of rhetoric. As he says “by defining ‘the art of the rhetor” as the art of producing a rhetor, one puts the other definitions into relation. The pedagogical project sets the agenda for the critical-rheoretic one and determines the appropriate objects of study… Its pedagogical enterprise is what ultimately makes rhetoric rhetoric and not just a version of something else” (2-3).   Walker’s title comes from a line from Cicero’s dialogs on the orator. Antonius describes Isocrates’ subsequent rhetoric teachers as the “genuine teachers of this art” and Isocrates does feature heavily in how we think about rhetoric and the teaching of rhetoric.   At the center of this text, Walker does the incredible work of reverse engineering the techne or art of rhetoric that Isocrates may have written. We think Isocrates wrote such a treatise. Zosimus’s Life of Isocrates in the the fifth century wrote “It is said that Isocrates also wrote an art of rhetoric bu in the course of time it was lost” (qtd. 57) Cicero, too, and Quintilian, seem to take it for granted that Isocrates had a complete rhetoric treatise. We might, Walker points out, not impose our own publishing tradition on what this would look like. Isocrates’ treatise on rhetoric would be, like Aritotle’s probably was “a  ‘teacher’s manual’ or ‘toolbox’ containing an organized and thus memorizable and searchable, collection of ‘the things that can be taught’ and a stock of explanations and examples” (84).   Combining shorter pieces of Isocrates’ with cited fragments and other sources’ admiration, parody and allusion, Walker reconstructs what this lost document might look like. He suggests that by looking at, say, the legal arguments of Isocrates, you can see evidence of a “rudimentary stasis system”: did they do it? how bad was it? was it legal or right? if it was right was that because of advantage, honor or justice? Of course there’s a bunch of stylistic rules some of which seem uniquely suited to Greek language and culture. And, of course, imitation is paramount. Over all, it seems that Isocrates’ pedagogical philosophy “assumes an ideal student of ready which who can take the imprint of the stylistic models set before him and can quickly come to imitate and absorb them” (153).   One of the key pedagogical assignments, then, is declamation. We don’t think of performance and acting as part of rhetorical discovery, but back in Isocrates’ day,speaking was extremely important, and the old debate practice of speaking your opponents’ words was a key pedagocial practice. Not just your opponent, but just “others” with whom you may or may not agree, sort of playing a part and trying on an argument. Think of it a little as if you were doing mock trial back in high school and some peopel are given the role of defense counsil and some are prosecution and some are witnesses: you have the facts of the case, but then you play the role the best you can within that structure. It’s invention, but also acting and it can be an effective pedagogical tool. As Walker puts it “the student was(is) freed from the pressure to discover the ‘correct answer’” (198) and “because the the student is playing a role, his or her youthful ego is not at stake, and it is possible to both play with the lines or argument and to reflect on them as well” (199).   If you have a question about some of the verbs and pronouns used in those last quotes, it’s because Walker doesn’t just study this stuff--he teaches it. Since his whole argument is that rhetoric is about being a teacher, he doesn’t shy away from describing how contemporary first year composition can embrace “rhetoric [as] an art of cultivating a productive, performative capacity” and unabashedly declares that “Rhetorical scholarship that made no consequential difference to what rhetors/writers do, or to how rhetors/writers are trained, would have little point. Perhaps that is obvious. Yet it is easy to forget” (288). Man, I get chills reading those words. I should take a moment here to say that if you use rhetorical methods from the ancients, like closely imitating exemplors or trying on other arguments, why not shoot a line at Mere Rhetoricpodcast@gmail.com? I’d love to hear about it and maybe we could do an episode just on the history and benefit of, say, imitation or declamation.   Okay, here’s the last word from Dr. Walker, though “Ancient rhetorical education appealed to the desired that brought the motivated student to it and that persists today: the desire expressed by Isocrates’ students to say admirable things; or Plato’s Phaedrus’ remark that he would rather be eloquent like Lysias than rich; or Plato’s Hippocrates’ wish to learn to speak  ‘awesomely’ like Protagoras … Rhetoric, as a paideia, was a ‘sweet garden’ where the young could experience and enact such things as theater, as game, and in so doing could cultivate their dunamis for wise and eloquent speech, thought and writing in practical situations as well as develop an attachment to a dream paradigm of democratic civic life” (293-4)    

In this podcast brother Ash discusses Lehi’s dream of the tree of life that parallels similar writings such as the “Narrative of Zosimus.” The full text of this article can be found at Deseret News online. Brother Ash is author of the book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, […] The post Fair Issues 62: Old World Narratives and Lehi’s dream appeared first on FairMormon.

On Thursday May 22nd, 2014 the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a review on a very important recent book on the Hermetic Tradition by Dutch author Jacob Slavenburg titled: "The Hermetic Link." Reviewing this book will be a team effort between the host and our esteemed guest Frater Ophis (Freeman Presson) who beat us to the punch and reviewed Slavenburg's book on his website two years ago. How did we miss it? No excuse because it should not have been missed. Certainly there have been other surveys of the Hermetic Tradition, usually combined with other related elements such as Kabbalah, Rosicrucianism, magick, etc. but this is the best and most complete tracing of the great Hermetic Gnosis from ancient Egypt, through Alexandria, Harran, the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the so-called "Enlightenment" and the present modern age. Slavenburg takes us from Zosimus to the Kybalion in a sympathetic, very thoughtful and comfortably philosophical style. He quotes Peter Kingsley ("Reality") frequently and does as good a job as Kingsley in getting across the deepest meaning of the Hermetic Mystery (the Great I AM) - perhaps he does it better in that he uses excerpts from Hermes to reveal the treasure we ardent Hermetic devotees hold so dear, whereas Kingsley in Reality depended on pre-Hermetic Parmenides and Empedocles. If all this is Greek to you, it shouldn't be and Slavenburg goes a long way toward establishing the true and enduring magnificence of our venerable Tradition. Tune in and get yourself Hermetically sealed. (Preserved for the next incarnation.)  

As we've seen in other episodes, theologically, the Church spent the 4th & 5th Cs figuring out exactly how to articulate what it believed about the nature of God & Jesus. The main questions it dealt with in the 5th thru 7th Cs, centered on how God saves the lost. Theologians were consumed with properly understanding God's grace, free will, and the nature of sin. Just what happened in the Fall? Instead of the nature of God, it was the nature of humanity that dominated Church councils.In this episode of CS, we'll deal with what's become something of a boogeyman in theological discussions, especially those that take place between Calvinists and Arminianists.That boogey is a man named Pelagius. His debate with the 5th C Church Father Augustine took center stage in the theological bruha over human nature and the extent of the Fall.Pelagius was born around 354 in Britain. Descriptions of him cast a large figure; both tall and wide, who cut an imposing figure wherever he went. Pelagius took his faith seriously and followed the tradition of many of his Celtic peers by being an ascetic and becoming a monk. Having taken advantage of the finest education he could in his native Britain, mastering both Latin & Greek, in 380 he went to Rome, to further his studies in law & theology. What he saw there grieved him greatly.The Church that had been persecuted through the 3rd C, had by the late 4th become something of a darling of the State. Hundreds of one-time pagans now filled the churches, many of them with dubious intent and less than altruistic motivation. They saw the way the political winds were blowing and so blew into the Church's ready embrace. The consequence was many who called themselves “Christians” but whose lives gave little support to the claim.Many Italian nobles kept a stable of mistresses in addition to their wives. They lived in luxurious ostentation while the desperately poor died nightly on the street outside the gate to their villa. Pelagius was shocked that the clergy took little action to confront all this. Priests allowed the rich to attend church as kind of half-way Christians. That is, they looked and sounded like believers, but hadn't been baptized, because once baptized, a new level of obedience and morality was expected and the poser-noble didn't want to go that far with it. Their attendance at church was a social thing, not a matter of a sincere faith. Pelagius was dumb-founded that this was going on in Rome. In one of his letters, he wrote, “Do you consider him a Christian who oppresses the wretched, who burdens the poor, who covets others' property, who makes several poor so that he may make himself rich, who rejoices in unjust gains . . . and a man of this kind has the audacity to go to church!” Pelagius warned that unless a person denied himself and imitated Christ, he had no business calling himself a Christian.From what he observed in Rome & from his own experience in following Jesus as a monk,  Pelagius developed a perspective on sin and salvation that centered on works. He said that sin doesn't arise out of some pre-existing state. If it did, he said, that meant God created sin as part of human nature. He wrote, “To say that man cannot be without sin is like saying that a man cannot live without food or drink or sleep or other such things without which our human state cannot exist.” Rather, Pelagius said, sin comes from bad habits people form willingly. Continually sinning, their wills weaken & they sin more often. BUT: If they commit to doing good rather than sinning, they're able to reverse their habits and develop patterns of behavior pleasing to God. God's part in all this is 3-fold:1) He gives people free will, with the ability to see for themselves what's right and wrong.2) God gives supernatural revelation through Scripture to guide them.3) Christ is the ultimate manifestation of God's grace; a perfect guide to demonstrate for humanity how to live.But in the final analysis, people have to overcome sin by choosing not to, but rather to do that which pleases God.The historical view of Pelagius is that he said Jesus was more an Example than a Savior.It's important to keep in mind that Pelagius' primary motivation wasn't theological so much as pastoral. He believed that the doctrine of Original Sin inherited from Adam & promulgated by Augustine, led Christians to be apathetic about their own sins, because it became a kind of cop-out for personal responsibility. He loathed the idea that people would say, “Well, I'm born a sinner, in sin, and have no choice in the matter. Since I came from fallen Adam, I'm fallen and can't get up. So I might as well lie here in my sin and sin away.”  Pelagius reasoned along these lines: “If Christians are inherently sinful, but God forgives sins, what's the motivation to even try to change?” He said the doctrine of Original Sin would gut the sense that sin was evil simply because it would be seen as inevitable. He worried when The Church accepted the idea of Original Sin, it would give people an excuse for sins, and that God would bring judgment.During the next 3 decades Pelagius spent in Italy, he seemingly remained orthodox and was a popular author and speaker. He wrote a commentary on Paul's NT letters and condemned the heresy of Manichaeanism. Though he held no official position or title, he was honored as a spiritual director and mentor to many. Regarding the things that mattered to him; namely, the moral purity of believers, Pelagius was only marginally influential.Over against Pelagius who rejected the idea of Original Sin was it's prime articulator, Bishop Augustine of Hippo in North Africa. Augustine had already made a name for himself in the controversy with the Donatists that we looked at in Season 1. This controversy with the Donatists prepared Augustine for the challenge Pelagius offered up. Against the Donatists, Augustine argued the Church isn't made up of perfect people, but that it is peopled by those who've been Born Again, as evidenced by their baptism.Augustine was convinced the doctrine of Original Sin was true. He said people begin life in the grip of a power their unable to shake. It draws them ever deeper into ruin unless God rescues them. In the same way that Pelagius's ideas were formed in the crucible of his own experience, so were Augustine's. He'd been a rank profligate, a true-blue pagan. Reform hadn't come to Augustine by self-will or in a vow to do better. In His classic autobiography, Confessions, he leans on Romans 7 when he says, “Even though a person may be delighted with God's law as far as his inmost self is concerned, how is he to deal with that other law in his bodily members which deliver him as prisoner to the law of sin dominant in his body. Who will free him from this death-laden body, if not your grace, given through Jesus Christ our Lord?” Augustine thus gives voice to how helpless he was in his former life, and how much he owed to God's mercy.Pelagius said human beings were posse non peccare = Able to not sin, apart from any supernatural enabling by God.Augustine said they were non posses non peccare = Not able to not sin, apart from God's enabling. He said even the good things people do aren't out of a genuine of love of God but for some lesser, and ultimately selfish purpose. Augustine's concept of grace isn't the Pelagian nudge into doing good by being inspired by Jesus' example, it's a colossal power that liberates people to truly love & serve God. That grace-empowered love then conquers sin & installs the virtues of the Spirit-filled life. But, Augustine said, until that grace is given, people can't even choose good, let alone DO it.In Augustine's conception of Original Sin, When Adam sinned, all humanity sinned with him.The clash between Pelagius and Augustine might never have materialized if the Roman Empire had remained intact. But in 410 Rome was sacked by the Visigoths. Roman nobles fled to enclaves on the coast and North Africa. Among them was Pelagius and his followers. It was there that a disciple of Pelagius named Celestius began spreading his teacher's ideas. A synod of African bishops met in Carthage in May of 418 to resolve the conflicting visions of God's grace and human free will. They came down heavily on Augustine's side.Among the 8 canons the Council passed, are 3 that posed a major challenge to Pelagius' theology.1) The Council said infants require baptism because baptism is MORE than a symbol. The African bishops said it actually washes away sin; that is, the stain of original sin.2) The Council decreed that the sinless life Celestius advocated was impossible. Quoting 1 John 1:8 where john says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us,” they said the Bible writers who admitted sin weren't just being humble, as Celestius argued. The Council rejected the idea we're in control of the good & bad in us, and so, the idea that we can perfect ourselves.3)  The Council took a stand on the power & scope of God's grace. Pelagius had said, or at least, his later followers said, that God's grace had bestowed on people a natural, that is a HUMAN ability, to overcome sin. The Council said God's grace isn't simply a tool people use to conform behavior; it's how God changes them from the inside out by empowering them to love & obey Him rather than sin. God's grace is something He gives, not something we choose.The Council of Carthage was conducted without the political shenanigans that marked some of the other councils. The exception was the work of Pope Zosimus, who was impressed by Pelagius and Celestius piety. He urged the African Bishops to declared Pelagius's party as orthodox. They refused, politely and after several months, Zosimus agreed with their findings.But because The Council of Carthage had been a local synod, its decisions weren't accepted in the East. Several theologians questioned its canons. The Council's pessimism about human freedom alarmed those who concluded the Africans had gone to an extreme in rejecting Pelagianism. They called for a moderate position that could serve the same purpose without falling into fatalism. So, a 2nd council was called a century later to resolve some of the more controversial issues left by Carthage in a way that was binding.You see, most theologians opposed Pelagius, and were glad Carthage put down his ideas. But they were also concerned that the Council had been influenced by Manichaeanism, one of those dualistic religions we looked at recently. Manichaeanism said humanity is trapped in an utterly evil material world. The only escape is through the spiritual realm. That Augustine had once been a Manichaean and that his ideas were central to the Carthaginian Council heightened the suspicions. Theologians like John Cassian argued while the aim of the bishops at Carthage had been laudable, they'd left no room for human choice; at least choices that had any real meaning. Carthage made Christianity as fatalistic as Manichaeanism.Those who questioned Carthage thought . . .1) The idea that the unredeemed are unable to choose good is self-evidently false.2) The fatalism in Carthage's ideas about predestination is contrary to Scripture.The most famous of the theologians who challenged Carthage was John Cassian. He argued that human freedom is not in conflict with God's grace and that predestination is based on God foreknowing who'll freely but by grace, come to faith in Christ.Cassian cited the story of Zacchaeus, Jericho's despised tax-collector. Zacchaeus was desperate to see Jesus. Being short and unable to see through the crowd, he climbed a tree and waited till Jesus passed by. Cassian argued that God did not cause Zacchaeus to climb the tree; he decided to do so of his own accord, and Jesus rewarded this act of faith.So, a 2nd Council was called in 529 at Orange in S Gaul, today, SE France, to deal with these questions. It decided once again in favor of Augustine's views. Augustine's influence was so strong in the Council, many of Orange's rulings used his language word for word.25 canons passed ruling out the arguments of men like Cassian. They accused those bishops who refused to accept the canons of being influenced by Pelagius. But it wasn't an all-clear for everything Augustine taught. Room is left in Orange's canons for the mystery of human free will. Augustine's doctrine of double-predestination was declared heretical.Today, calling someone Pelagian, or accusing them of spouting Pelagianism, effectively shuts them up because it's saying they deny The Gospel and have turned the distinctive Christian doctrine of salvation by grace through faith into the something someone can earn by their good works which don't require the enabling of God's grace.I'd be remiss in this review of Pelagianism to not mention Semi-Pelagianism.A dictionary definition of semi-Pelagianism is that it is a mid-way position between Augustinianism, with its emphasis on predestination and man's total inability, and Pelagianism, with its insistence on man's ability to obey God apart from divine grace. Semi-Pelagians claim human beings, though broken by sin, aren't totally ruined. They retain a measure of freedom by which they're able to cooperate with God's grace. Man's will is weakened by the Fall; his nature has fallen, but it's not utterly depraved. God's grace comes to people through the conviction of the Spirit and persuasion that Jesus is the only answer to our need. While God's Spirit brings grace through many means, the primary means by which grace is activated is in and through The Gospel message. The Spirit's dual work of conviction & persuasion is God's grace, which the person who is saved surrenders to and is born again. This work of grace that leads to salvation is called prevenient grace. But advocates of this position believe it's possible to resist this work of grace and remain in s a state of unbelief. The Calvinist believes in irresistible grace; that it cannot be resisted.Among those that would be classed Semi-Pelagian there's a wide array of understanding on what role the grace of God does in drawing and wooing the lost INTO Saving Faith. Some believe the message of The Gospel by itself has the power to save. Other would say it's God's grace working through The Gospel that convicts the sinner of both their need and the realization that the remedy is in Christ.Sadly, in the discussions that all too often turn into acrimonious debates between Calvinists and non-Calvinists, the charge of being semi-Pelagian is often tossed out as a kind of theological trump card. If Pelagianism is a heresy, being Semi-Pelagian is being a half heretic and a half heretic is still a heretic.Theological discussions aren't going very far when one side calls the other heretical. And if the dictionary's definition of Semi-Pelagianism is accurate, why not call it Semi-Augustinianism?It might be wise to question if either Augustinianism or Pelagianism are Biblical before we set some position as a mediating stand between them.What if BOTH Augustine and Pelagius were wrong? If that were the case, we don't want to find some middle ground between them. Being halfway between wrong and wrong is doubly wrong.