The second synod of Orange is famous due to its deep consideration of some typical problems for the medieval man‘s perception of the world. First of all it relates to the basic contradiction between the independent human mind and the Almighty God’s predestination. In other words, writing basic points of the synod theologians tried to find some simple and obvious conception of the human free will, its abilities, limits and its importance for the main goal of everyone – Salvation of the eternal soul.
The deciding opinion of most disputants, as Mozley notes, took into account the doctrine of the predestination first formulated by Saint Augustin. (126). That’s why, according to main ideas accepted at the Synod, it’s easy to notify – man can rely only on God, his mercy and good will. Without God’s desire it’s impossible to be saved. All personal deeds and intentions of the human nature don’t cause real Salvation. The last one must be interpreted as the result of God’s grace and love, Creator’s main gift for mankind.
Item 7 of the canon accepted at the Synod also gives some food for thought. It directly indicates – only God can choose if man is worthy of Salvation (“The Canons of the Council of Orange”, Item 7). It means that human thinking about own virtues and achievements always is superficial or false. Man can’t become the moral creature as the autonomous subject without God’s interference. All peculiar to the human nature dignity is just the demonstration of divine kindness and sympathy.
So, main rules of the synod of Orange are intended to show the total meaninglessness and emptiness of the human existence without God’s help. Such point turns man into some miserable and dependent being devoid of his own good will. From the other side the crucial synopsis of the second synod of Orange in points devoted to Salvation gave very strong impulse for following transformations of the Catholic Church.
Works Cited
Mozley, J. B. A Treatise on the Augustinian Doctrine of Predestination. London: Spottiswoode and Co., 1883. Print.
“The Canons of the Council of Orange.” Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics, n.d. Web. 31 May 2016.
