Kan kaf veranderen in koren? Augustinus over predestinatie en paraenese

Samenvatting

This article examines how Augustine understands the metaphor of wheat and chaff with regard to the relationship between God's grace and human responsibility. Because agriculture cannot change the chaff into wheat nor vice versa, a first glance suggests the  metaphor fits a deterministic interpretation of Augustine's works. The study includes both the early and late works of Augustine, but it pays particular attention to any discrepancy between his theological and homiletical works. The essay concludes that the metaphor does not function deterministically, and that Augustine’s view of predestination is accompanied by an exhortative paraenesis until the end of his life.