''An Inquiry into the Modern Prevailing Notions of the Freedom of the Will which is Supposed to be Essential to Moral Agency, Virtue and Vice, Reward and Punishment, Praise and Blame'' or simply ''The Freedom of the Will'', is a work by Christian reformer, theologian, and author
Jonathan Edwards which uses the text of
Romans 9
Romans 9 is the ninth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle, while he was in Corinth in the mid-50s AD, with the help of an ''amanuensis'' (secretary), Tertius, who a ...
:16 as its basis. It was first published in 1754 and examines the nature and the status of humanity's
will. The book takes the classic
Calvinist
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
viewpoint on
total depravity
Total depravity (also called radical corruption or pervasive depravity) is a Protestant theological doctrine derived from the concept of original sin. It teaches that, as a consequence of man's fall, every person born into the world is enslav ...
of the will and the need of humanity for God's grace in salvation.
Although written long before the modern introduction and debate over
Open Theism
Open theism, also known as openness theology and free will theism, is a theological movement that has developed within Christianity as a rejection of the synthesis of Greek philosophy and Christian theology. Open theism arises out of the freewi ...
, Edwards' work addresses many of the concerns that have been raised today over this view.
One of the authors that provoked the writing of The Freedom of the Will was
Daniel Whitby
Daniel Whitby (1638–1726) was a controversial English theologian and biblical commentator. An Arminian priest in the Church of England, Whitby was known as strongly anti-Calvinistic and later gave evidence of Unitarian tendencies.
Life
The s ...
. Whitby was an
Arminian minister of the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
who was known for his anti-
Calvinist
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
viewpoint and his statement that “It is better to deny prescience
oreknowledgethan liberty.”
Discourse on the Five Points by Daniel Whitby
/ref> It is this claim that Edwards attempts to answer in The Freedom of the Will. Edwards responded that a person may freely choose whatever seems good, but that whatever it is that seems good is based on an inherent predisposition that has been foreordained by God.
See also
* '' A Faithful Narrative''
* '' Religious Affections''
References
External links
The Complete Text of ''The Freedom of the Will''A version of this work, slightly modified for easier reading
*
Christian ethics
18th-century Christian texts
1754 books
Epistle to the Romans
Works by Jonathan Edwards (theologian)
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