Re: The lot is cast ...

Chuck Noren (noren@inetnow.net)
Tue, 9 Dec 1997 08:10:37 -0500

Another interesting book to throw into the mix is Jonathan Edwards' Freedom
of
the Will (published still by Banner of Truth, and Soli Deo Gloria). Edwards,
a classical
Calvinist, presents, IMHO, a strong case for the sovereignty of God and the
corresponding
limitation of human freewill as a result. The starting point for Edwards'
discussion is the
definition of freewill and the extent of God's omniscience. For any
discussion of freewill it
is crucial we specify what we mean by it, for we often run with vague
notions of what it
means. For Edwards, freewill simply means the ability of a being to do what
he or she
desires to do. Edwards spends much of the first part of his book giving
qualifications
to that definition, such that this ability must fall within the range of
what is possible for
that person to do, and that each person has a competing mix of desires that
is in constant
flux and will choose at any moment of the strongest desire(s) are.

Also, Edwards develops the case that God holds complete and unambiguous
knowledge
of the future. He bases this on citing a number of prophecies God makes and
also that
God has foreknown all individuals. Edwards shows an interesting foresight
into Chaos
theory and the "Butterly Effect" by showing that such foreknowledge must be
complete
otherwise His knowledge would be derailed by the slightest variances over
time.

...Oh oh, my car pool is here and I must abruptly end this post.

-Chuck
-----
Chuck Noren, Marietta, GA
noren@inetnow.net (home)
noren@es.atl.sita.int (work)