Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Hailed by even secular analysts as the greatest philosophical mind ever to grace American scene, Edwards shows that the sinner's will is most certainly not free, and that God must intervene if the soul is ever to choose what is good. Although Edwards intended this book to be an evangelistic tool, it is perhaps his most important work theologically and philosophically. Pelagianism certainly has a death grip on the modern church, but this book will help to loosen its hold through sound reasoning and biblical exegesis.
Synopsis
Many scholars believe this work, published in 1754, is the most important argument against Arminianism published in America. Freedom of the Will is divided into four parts. The first deals with terminology; the nature and determination of the will; the meaning of necessity, impossibility, and contingency; the distinction between natural and moral necessity; and the nature of moral agency and liberty. The second considers the possibility of self-determination. The third analyzes divine agency regarding human beings and the world. In the conclusion, Edwards anticipates the reception the work will receive.