Rev. Dr.

Vanlalthlana Lehkhabu Doctrine of Grace: Augustine’s Doctrine of Grace and

Human Free Will and an Appraisal from a Mizo Christian Perspective, (Delhi, ISPCK, 2010)
sawi hawnna, (Rev. Dr. C. Lalhlira, Registrar, and Associate Professor, Aizawl Theological
College

Rev. Dr. Vanlalthlana lehkhabu hi Doctor of Theology (D. Th.) degree lâkna atana ziak a ni a.
Rin thu leh ama ngaihdâna innghat mai ni lo, nasa taka zawn chhuah a, a dikna hmuhchhuah
hnuah mithiamten a dik a ni an tihpui hnua lehkhabua siam chauh a ni. Hei vâng hian
Theological research hi ‘scientific research’ an ti rêng a ni. He lehkhabu-ah hian Dr.
Vanlalthlana hian Augustine-a, Kohhran hmasa pate zînga mi lâr ber pâwl leh Pathian thu
chhuinaa hnuhma ngah tak-in Pathian khawngaihna chungchâng a sawi dân a chhui a.
Augustine-a chu khawvêl mi tak thîn, Pathian khawngaihna avânga lo piangthar ta,
‘khawngaihna avâng chauhva chhandam ni thei’ tih inhria a, Pathian hnêna tlulût ta chanchin
tlângpui chhuiin, Pathian khawngaihna atang chauhvin Pathian chhandamna a nei thei a ni tih
chu eng ang takin nge a lo pawimawh tih min chhuichhuahsak a ni. Thlana lehkhabu ziak hi
Theology zirnaah chuan ‘Patristic Theology’ an ti bîk a, Kohhran hmasa pate Pathian thu
pawmdân chhuina a ni a. Tunlaiin heti lam han zir peih hi an vâng tial tial a, khawvêl hmun
zauzâwkah pawh a lehkhabu hi an la ngaihlu tawlh tawlh dâwn a ni.

A lehkhabu kalhmang tlângpui chu hetiang hi a ni:

A hmasa berin Augustine-a Khawngaihna pawm dân a pawimawhna leh chumi a chhuina
hmanruate min kawhhmuh a, Mizo Kristiante zîngah pawh Augustine-a ngaihdân hian kan
kohhran hruaitu hmasa Rev. Liangkhaia te, Rev. Lalsâwma te pawh a lo hneh tawh dân te a ziak
lang nghe nghe a. Chumi dawtah chuan a thil sawi tum khawvêlah lûtin, ‘Khawngaihna’ thurin
(Doctrine of Grace) awmzia min sawifiah sak a. Latin tawng thumal gratia awmzia leh
Thuthlung Hluiah te, Thuthung Tharah te, leh Grik leh Rom-ho khawvêla an hman \hin dânte
pawh a chhui zau hle.

Hemi dawtah hian Augustine-a hunlai khawvêl leh a Pathian thu sûkthlêk rawn zîk chhuahna te a
chhui leh a. Augustine-a hun lai hian Rom lalram chu tlu chhe tawh lam, kil tin atanga nâwktu an
awm hun, pâwn lama lalram zau leh ropui tak anga lang, chhûngrila ngêt ru tlat si niin a sawi (p.
47-48). Mi hausa leh rethei inkâr pawh a zau hle a, salte an awmin mihring inawpbehna nasa tak
a awm bawk. Pathian thuah pawh inhnialna chi hrang hrang a tam hle hun lai a ni a, Donatist ho
zirtîrna chu a sawi lansarh a ni.

Augustine-a chu November ni 13, 354 khân Thagaste, tuna Souk Ahras, Algeria rama mi ni taah
hian a piang a (p.64). Latin tawng hmang chhûngkua an ni a, Grik pawh a zir thiam hle. Carthage
khua, khawpui hlui leh hlun takah chuan a seilian a, hetih lai hian nuam a chên a ni ber awmin a
sawi. Hmei pawh neiin ‘sualnaa fa hrin’ a tih chu a nei hial. Nu sakhawmi tak Monika a nei a,
atana a tawngtaina chhânin a awm a, Milan khawpuia a awm laiin Bishop hmingthang Ambrose-
a bulah nun thar a chhar ta a ni. Chuta tang chuan Rom-ah a kal a, chumi hnuah a pianna khua
Thagaste-ah a kîr lehin monastery a din a. Chumi hnuin Hippo-ah a khawsa a, an bishop thih
hnuah Bishop atân thlan a ni ta a ni.
Hêng a mimal chanchin a chhui hnu hian Augustine-a Pathian thu chhûtnaa a nghawngtu hrang
hrang tâwi tê têin a sawi leh a. A hmasa berin Bible/Pathian lehkha thu a dah pawimawh hle tih a
sawi a. Thuthlung Hlui leh Thuthlung Thar khawii laia mi pawh hi a thu ziakah a lachhâwng tam
hle a ni tih min hrilh. Kohhran pate zîngah chuan Carthage Bishop Cyprian-a te, Milan Bishop
Ambrose-a te chu a Pathian thu pawm dâna amah hnehtute an ni. Hêng mite hmang hian a
inhnialpui ber Pelagian zirtîrna pawh a hnial thîn niin a sawi (pp. 78-82). Hêng bâkah hian a hun
hma leh a hunlaia khawvêl finna (Philosophy) a hmang tangkai hle bawk. Neo-Platonism zirtîrna
pawh thui tak a pawm thu te a ziak a, a Pathian thu pawm dânah pawh kawngro a su thui hle tih
min hrilh. A dang leh chu Manichaeism a ni a, he zirtîrna hian rei tak Augustine-a a hneh thu leh
a hun hnuhnûng lamah erawh chuan a zui tlâk loh tih a hriatchhuah hnuin Kristianna lamah a
rilru zawng zawng a pêk phah ta a, Bible nghahchhana hmangin a ‘theology’ chu a chherchhuak
ta a ni tih min hrilh bawk (pp. 82-84, 96) Augustine-a thu ziakah hian ‘Isua’ tih hi vawi 4645 a
awm laiin ‘Krista’ tih chu vawi 20, 000 chuang a awm a ni tih Studer a sawi a sawi chhâwng
nghe nghe (p.91).

Hemi dawtah hian Khawngaihna Theology a lo zîk chhuah dân a chhui leh a; a hun hmasa lamah
Augustine-an Pathian leh mihring inlaichînna Pathian thu a pawmdân hi a danglam lutuk lo,
mahse Rom lehkhathawn a zir chian lehzual atangin hriatna leh nungchang thatnaa Pathian
khawngaihna hlawhchhuah theih a nih loh thu te a lo hrechhuak chiang ta a ni. Augustine-an Lei
leh vân siam thua a ngaih dân te, mihring chu Trinity Pathian anpuia siam nia a pawm thu te,
Khawngaihna chu Pathian thilpêk a ni a, Dân zawmna atana thiltihtheihna a nih thu te a chhui zêl
a. Duhthlanna zalên chu sual kawng zawhna a nih thu leh Pathian lama kîr lehna hmanrua a nih
thu pawh kan hmu (pp117-119).

Hemi dawt lehah chuan Augustine-a Theology ‘Khawngaihna leh Duhthlanna Zalên’
chungchâng ti chiang tura thil pawimawh tak Pelagius-a nena an thu inchuh, mihringin piantirh
atangin sual a neih leh neih loh thu te,suala tlûkin mihring a khawih pawi chen te, mahni a
inchhandam theih leh theih loh thu tea an inhnialna chu chipchiar takin a chhui leh a. Hei mi
bung hi ngunthlûk taka chhiar peih lo tân chuan a bu pumpui awmzia hi hriatfiah a har ngei ang.
Sual bul thu te, tlûknain mihring a nghawng dân te, duhthlanna zalên thute leh sual ata
khawngaihnaa chhandamna chungchâng te, ruatlâwk thurin a pawm dan te chu he lai hlâwmah
hian nasa takin a chhui a ni. Hêng hnuah hian Augustine-an Kohhran siam \hatu Luthera leh
John Calvina te nunah hnuhma a neih dân sawiin, chu chuan Siam That Kohhranah, keini Mizote
thleng pawha hnuhma a la neih zêl tâk dânte pawh min chhuichhuahsak nghe nghe a ni

Hmanlai mi, ‘hrânghlui’ chanchin han chhui chiam ringawt chu thawnthu maiah miin an ngai
mai thei. A thusawi ropui leh a ngaihdân tha pui puite chu lo hria pawh ni ila kan tunlai hunah a
tangkaina emaw, mi a nghawng dân emaw kan hriat loh chuan awmzia thui tak a nei lêm lo. Chu
chu hriain a chipuite tana thil tangkai thawhchhuah tumin Augustine-a Pathian thu pawm dân
hian Mizo Kristiante-ah eng ang takin nge nghawng a neih a, eng ang hnuhma nge a neih tih a
chhui leh a. Rawngbâwltu hmasate thu ziak atanga chhuiin, tunlai Pathian thu thiamte pawh
berâwnin leh, an thu ziakte khawnkhâwmin, nasa takin a chhui a; chu mai chu tâwkzo ti lovin
mipuite hnênah ziaka zawhna semin mi 300 zet chhânna a dawng a, chûng mite atang chuan
Augustine-a leh John Calvina te thu zirtîr an pawm dân te a chhui zêl a ni. Hêng zawng zawng
atang hian Augustine-a ‘Khawngaihna Thurin’ te, ‘Ruatlâwk Thurin’ te, ‘mihring nihphung’
(bung hniha then leh bung thum then) chungchâng te, ‘duhthlanna zalên’ chungchâng te pawh
John Calvina te lo sawi chhâwn chuan Mizo Kristianteah hnuhma a neiin thui tak an pawmpui a
ni tih a târlang a ni.

He lehklhabu chhuahtu hi Indian Society for Promotion of Christian Knowledge (ISPCK), Delhi,
an ni a. Rs. 375/- an chhiar a. Tihsual tam lo tak, pawi ang reng tak a awm a, chûngte chu p. xiii-
ah khan Foreword ziaktu Rev Dr. Kiran Sebastian-a hming hnuaiah Preface ziaktu, Prof. Dr.
Zwanstra hming leh address, a phêk lehlam (p. xvii) awm tho chu an chhu kai ngawt pek a. Chu
lo pawh chu Bung 1-na, phek 1-naa tlar hmasa berah to analyse tih mai tur to analyses tiin ziak a
ni. Hei pawh hi a chhutna lama tih sual a nih hmêl. A thesis proposal script-ah pawh a dikin a
ziak si a. Hêngte hi chu a bu pumpui hmêl timâwktu a ni tham lo ve.

He lehkhabu ziak tur hian Dr. Thlana hian ni danga a la hriat ngai hauh loh Latin tawng a zir a,
Kum 2002 July thla a\ang khan St. Peter’s Pontifical Seminary/Institute, Bangalore-ah Latin
tawng thiam panin nitin a feh chhuak a, nasa takin a zir a. A nupui fanaute pawh hruai lovin
hostel-ah kum khat a khawsa a, Pi Hnûnpuii (Rev. C. Lalhlira-te) mess a zawm a. Augustine-an
Latin tawnga a thu ziakte chhiar thei khawpin a zir a. Chu chauh ni lovin, English-ho pawhin
Pathian thu sawifiahnan leh Kohhran hmasa pate thuziak leh an Theology an tawngin a awmzia a
phawh chhuah zawh loh avangin Latin tawng hi an hmang nasa êm êm mai a, chûngte pawh chu
chhiar thei khawpin Latin hi a thiam a ni. Hêng a thil zir hi hneh tak leh awlai taka ti a ni bîk lo.
Nasa takin a sual a, a beidawn ve lek lek thîn châng a tam ve mai. “Nupui fanaute kalsanin kan ti
ve laklawh tawh si a, han haw leh ngawt chu a ni si lo va…” a ti ve fo thîn. Kei nupui fanaute
hruaiin ka kal a, “Nupui fanaute hruaiin kan kal ve laklawh tawh si a, beidawnga hawpui leh
ngawt chu a tlâwm thlâk deuh si a…” ka ti ve thung a!! Mahse beidawng hauh lovin a thawk a, a
nupui fanauten kum hnihnaah an rawn fin zui ve ta bawk a. India ram mai ni lo, Sapram
(Edinburgh) thlengin a zirna kawng hi a zawh a ni. Amah kaihruaitu Dr. Kiran Sebastiana chuan,
“Augustine-a zir tur hian a thuziak leh a chanchin ziakna hmantlâk chu kaih phawh loh pakhat
mah a nei lo,” a ti hial a ni. Chutianga nasa taka a beihna thawhrah chu vawiin hian a lo lang ta a
ni.

Hetia a zir chung hian Bangalore Mizo Christian Fellowship-ah Secretary a ni a, inkhawm hun
siam te, Committee rorêl tur ruahman leh thurêl bawhzuite fel takin a ti thlap thlap thei zêl a. Mi
daihzai tak, Pastor mi tak, zirtîr thiam tak bawk si, amah Rev. Thangpuiliana’n a ti mathlâwn
lovin, “a aw pawh rorêl aw thlup mai” a ni a. Vawiinah hian amah awm tawh lo mahse, he a
lehkhabu ziak belhchian dâwl tak, khawvêl puma Kohhran hmasa pate Pathian thu pawm dân
zirnaa sawitel ve ngei ngei tawh tur leh Mizo Kristiante Pathian thu sûkthlêk leh hawiher
bulthûm zirnaa zir tel hmaih hauh tawh loh tur lehkhabu min hnutchhiah hi a lâwmawm tak zet a
ni.

Ka lawm e.