Die Entstehung der Gnadenlehre Augustins

In describing Augustine's doctrine of grace, Volker Henning Drecoll considers three requirements of modern Augustinian research which have received little attention from those studying the doctrine of grace up to now. He analyzes the significance of Manichaeism for Augustine, discusses the influence of Neoplatonism on Augustine's doctrine of grace and wonders whether Augustine was influenced more strongly by Porphyry than by Plotinus. He also looks for the core of Augustinian thought which led to the development of the doctrine of grace. He succeeds in showing that Augustine's doctrine of grace is rooted in the structure of the Augustinian concept of God and was prompted by the critical analysis of Manichaeism.