Predestination & Free Will: Four Views of Divine Sovereignty and Human FreedomDavid Basinger, Randall Basinger If God is in control, are people really free? This question has bothered Christians for centuries. And answers have covered a wide spectrum. Today Christians still disagree. Those who emphasize human freedom view it as a reflection of God's self-limited power. Others look at human freedom in the order of God's overall control. David and Randall Basinger have put this age-old question to four scholars trained in theology and philosophy. John Feinberg of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Norman Geisler of Dallas Theological Seminary focus on God's specific sovereignty. Bruce Reichenbach of Augsburg College and Clark Pinnock of McMaster Divinity College insist that God must limit his control to ensure our freedom. Each writer argues for his perspective and applies his theory to two practical case studies. Then the other writers respond to each of the major essays, exposing what they see as fallacies and hidden assumptions. A lively and provocative volume. |
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Predestination and Free Will: Four Views of Divine Sovereignty and Human Freedom David Basinger,Randall Basinger No preview available - 1986 |
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able accept according actions actually admit agent agree answer argue argument believe Bible biblical bring called causal cause choose Christ Christians claim Consequently contradiction contrary course created creatures decide decision decreed deny dependent desires determined discussion divine sovereignty eternal event everything evil example exist explain fact Feinberg final follow foreknowledge Fred free act free choice freely future Geisler give given God's hand happen hold human freedom impossible indeterminism indeterminist individual John kind knowledge known knows laws leave limited lives logical Mary means moral nature necessary never notion occur omnipotence omniscience otherwise passages person philosophical pieces Pinnock position possible present problem prophecy question reason Reichenbach reject relation responsible result salvation Scripture sense simply sovereign specific sufficient suggests temporal theism theology things thought timeless true universe verse wants whole
Popular passages
Page 71 - There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done.
Page 74 - Although, in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly ; yet, by the same providence, he ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.
Page 68 - I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Page 66 - You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.
Page 150 - If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.
Page 83 - This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
Page 68 - Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed — not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence — continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Page 82 - Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Page 69 - Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.