I was interested to read that the Orthodox Church today does not agree with Augustine on this issue:

“ cannot agree with Augustine, when he writes that humans are under a ‘harsh necessity’ of committing sin…The image of God is distorted by sin but never destroyed…and because we still retain the image of God we still retain free will, although sin restricts its scope….Orthodoxy repudiates any interpretation of the fall which allows no room for human freedom….

“But although Orthodox maintain that humans after the fall still posessed free will and were still capable of good actions, they agree with the west in believing that sin had set up a barrier which humanity by its own efforts could never break down. Sin blocked the path to union with God. Since we could not come to God, He came to us.” [1]

[1] Kallistos Ware – The Orthodox Church

John Mitchell “There can be no understanding between the hands and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator” (Metropolis – 1926)