Divine Will and Human Choice: Freedom, Contingency, and Necessity in Early Modern Reformed Thought

Synopsis

This Fresh Study From An Internationally Respected Scholar Of The Reformation And Post-reformation Eras Shows How The Reformers And Their Successors Analyzed And Reconciled The Concepts Of Divine Sovereignty And Human Freedom. Richard Muller Argues That Traditional Reformed Theology Supported A Robust Theory Of An Omnipotent Divine Will And Human Free Choice And Drew On A Tradition Of Western Theological And Philosophical Discussion. The Book Provides Historical Perspective On A Topic Of Current Interest And Debate And Offers A Corrective To Recent Discussions. Part I. Freedom And Necessity In Reformed Thought : The Contemporary Debate -- Introduction : The Present State Of The Question -- Reformed Thought And Synchronic Contingency -- Part Ii. Philosophical And Theological Backgrounds : Aristotle, Aquinas And Duns Scotus -- Aristotle And Aquinas On Necessity And Contingency -- Duns Scotus And Late Medieval Perspectives On Freedom -- Part Iii. Early Modern Reformed Perspectives : Contingency Necessity, And Freedom In The Real Order Of Being -- Necessity, Contingency And Freedom : Reformed Understandings -- Scholastic Approaches To Necessity, Contingency, And Freedom : Early Modern Reformed Perspectives -- Divine, Power, Possibility, And Actuality -- Divine Concurrence And Contingency -- Conclusions. Richard A. Muller. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.