Determined to Come Most Freely

A preprint version of the article I co-authored with Paul Manata, “Determined to Come Most Freely: Some Challenges for Libertarian Calvinism,” published a while ago in the Journal for Reformed Theology and summarized here, is now available here. Enjoy!

1 thought on “Determined to Come Most Freely”

  1. Ron DiGiacomo

    John Frame once noted: “I don’t know how many times I have asked candidates for licensure and ordination whether we are free from God’s decree, and they have replied ‘No, because we are fallen.’ That is to confuse libertarianism (freedom from God’s decree, ability to act without cause) with freedom from sin. In the former case, the fall is entirely irrelevant. Neither before nor after the fall did Adam have freedom in the libertarian sense. But freedom from sin is something different. Adam had that before the fall, but lost it as a result of the fall.”

    As I stated in a link below, “I resonated with John’s observation the very first time I read his lament. This is a very serious matter. These men to whom John refers may have very well been ordained and licensed in Reformed denominations (or gone to teach at seminary), yet without any appreciation for the implications of their religious philosophy.”

    James, I’ve said for years a skilled Molinist could be ordained in most NAPARC presbyteries. I’ve even been accused of denying the WCF, by a very well known ordained servant(!), because I defended that prelapsarian-Adam could not have chosen contrary to how he did when he fell. (Same link.)

    I’m also persuaded that a professor of apologetics at a renowned Reformed seminary affirms pure contingency of choice. Another professor at the same seminary argued against LFW on the basis that regeneration precedes faith.

    Not good.

    http://reformedapologist.blogspot.com/2008/05/reformed-folk-power-of-contrary-choice.html?m=1

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