Willing to Believe: The Controversy Over Free Will

by R.C. Sproul

Book Overview

A history of the debate over free will and how it affects Christian theology

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801011523
• ISBN13: 9780801011528
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group (MI)
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 21 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Good Summary on Free Will Historical Thought

Sproul has put together a very even handed, well documented, heavily referenced book that deals with the church long debate over human free will. Though personally from the Reformed camp, Sproul does not use this book as a vehicle for the advocacy of Reformed thought, but dispassionately examines the free will musings of various prominent thinkers throughout church history who represent a good variety of opinion.Sproul takes the reader from Augustine to Chafer and looks at a number of folks in between such as Pelagius, Arminius, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, and Finney. I felt that Sproul did a very good job of examining the views of each individual, and particularly in the cases of Finney and Chafer, showing that their views on free will didn't always reflect what they said their overall theology was. Very insightful writing here.One of the things I got out of the book was the obscure nature of a number of nuances that surround this issue and separate folks along theological lines. I think readers who are not intimately familiar with these issues may find themselves a bit surprised by the often nuanced differences that have become such bitter points of contention between theological camps (monergistic versus synergistic soteriology is one example). I thought that Sproul did a good job of examining these views in a detailed way in order to lay bare the theological differences that speak for themselves. His extensive quotation of the above church thinkers on these issues allows the reader to see for him/herself what these thinkers wrote and thought.Overall, I think this is a very informative book that serves to honestly treat the free will controversy in such a way that a layperson can better understand the controversy and be able to continue in their research with a solid basis of understanding. This book is a quality addition to the Christian's library.

The Importance of Historical Theology Demonstated

It is extremely important to carefully consider what those who have gone before us have thought and written on important subjects. Those who ignore historical theology leave themselves open to errors which may have already been ably refuted by others in the past. R.C.Sproul gives us an excellent summary of what some of the most influential men in Church History have thought on the controversial subject of the role that a person's will has in the salvation of an individual. Some of the men who's views are presented by Mr.Sproul are Pelagius,Augustine,Luther,Arminius and Jonathan Edwards. We should always seek to understand and accurately represent the views of those with whom we may not be in agreement with. It is a sad reality that this is often not the case. Lewis Sperry Chafer very helpfully clarifies what is a problem fo some on p.204 "It is a strange thing to deem the liberation of an enslaved will as a violation of freedom."This is what God does in the salvation of an individual. I don't believe anyone knows how God does this but the Bible clearly teaches that He in fact does. A great strength of this book as in all of R.C.Sproul's books is that the reader is not left with the impression that Sproul either does not understand(and therefore has not misrepresented)the view that he himself does not hold. The flip side being that the view that R.C.Sproul believes to be the Biblical view is very accurately given to us.

Pelagius confounded...

This book has revolutionized my theological understanding, and has been instrumental in dislodging my former Pelagianistic orientation. I picked it up as a project to be refuted, and in the process, I was devastated by cogent argumentation from Sproul and, as he demonstrates, some of the greatest minds in church history. At one particular point in the book, he lists the salient points of Pelagianism and I found myself nodding yes to every point as I read. Up to that point I considered myself a sort of Arminian "on steroids". I was as bigoted against reformed theology as one could be; yet, by the time I finished this book, I was mortally wounded! This magnum opus on free will is powerfully relevant to the watershed of contiguous doctrines which touch its theme and are under attack in our time. To those who foster Pelagian or semi-Pelagian (Arminian) viewpoints, this book is of crucial importance. Even if you don't subscribe to the positions which are here contained, you will need to consider it and formulate your arguments over against this trenchant analysis. Here is one of Reformed theology's most brilliant, passionate defenders and his arsenal is impressive...you'll see!

THE MISSING INGREDIENT: grace alone

Because of the fall, we inherit original sin from Adam. The question is, how fallen are we? Sproul, arguing from Augustine, the Reformers, Jonathan Edwards, and the Scriptures says that we are so fallen that we will not choose God. There must be a work of grace from God before a person will turn to God. Rather than start from scratch, Sproul relies on almost 2000 years of theological history. Pelagius, Augustine, Erasmus, Luther, Calvin, Arminius, Jonathan Edwards, and dispensationalist Lewis Sperry Chafer's views concerning "free will" are considered. The concern of Sproul(which is a concern of Reformed theology in general) is that God get all the glory for salvation. Evangelicals agree that salvation comes by Christ alone and faith alone. Sproul maintains that grace alone is the missing piece of good theology. The ordo salutis(order of salvation) is crucial to understanding a debate in recent years between dispensationalists and reformed evangelicals. When one understands that dispensationalists put faith(a move of man and God;synergistic) as the initial step in salvation whereas the reformers put regeneration first(a move of God;monoergistic), then light is shone on why the two groups have had this debate. Even though many dispensationalists consider themselves Calvinists, Sproul shows inconsistencies in their views that do not square with Calvin or Luther, but rather with Armimian theology. A concluding chapter summarizing the biblical case for the Reformed view would have been helpful. Sproul delivers sufficient information to build his case. However, a biblical summary could have delivered the knockout punch more completely. Nevertheless, both Arminians and Calvinists will benefit from Sproul's grasp of these issues. He is charitable to those he disagrees with, generating more light than heat.

Is the will of man really "free" or in bondage to sin?

The historic controversy over man's so-called "free will" is neatly organized in this enlightening book. Sproul takes you on a historical voyage of the controversy, emphasizing the influential persons behind the debate and their relative positions. He points out (as I personally realized during my hard analysis of and subsequent "conversion" to Calvinism) that Calvinism stands or falls on Total Depravity. If Man's will is "free" then he is able to save himself with Christ's _help_ (e.g., Roman Catholicism and Arminianism). But if Man's will is in bondage to sin (i.e., Man can choose to do all he desires, but all his desires are sinful) then it will take the Sovereign act of the Triune God _alone_ to save men: The Father unconditionally elects a people to redeem, the Son dies specifically for them, and the Spirit regenerates them (causes them to be "born again") and gives them faith in Christ (Calvinism). This historical work will ! make you question everything you believe about your so-called "free" will.