Reformed Thought on Freedom: The Concept of Free Choice in Early Modern Reformed Theology

Reformed Thought on Freedom begins with an introductory discussion of free choice and the Reformed tradition and then moves on to examine the concept of freedom in the work of six early modern Reformers. It fills a significant gap in Reformed knowledge by presenting sources in translation and commentary on works of major importance to the Protestant tradition that have been neglected for centuries. This book makes a major contribution to historical scholarship on the problem of free choice and to contemporary debates over determinism and divine foreknowledge of future events. In recent debates on these subjects, Protestant and evangelical philosophers and theologians have argued about modern issues, but they have often misunderstood or dismissed the past-- specifically, older Calvinism. This volume shows the philosophical sophistication of the older Calvinist or Reformed position, particularly its positive assessment of the issue of human free choice. The contributors demonstrate that traditional Calvinism cannot be easily dismissed as a form of philosophical determinism. Reformed Thought on Freedom will be valued by Reformation scholars, professors and students, and research and theological libraries.