The topic of “free will” is often misunderstood by many Christians today. Alister McGrath (who, btw, is not a Calvinist) includes the following paragraph in his book Studies in Doctrine, commenting on the 5th century controversy between Augustine and Pelagius, which centered on the nature of the will (including the effects of sin on the will):
The term “free will” (which is a translation of the Latin liberum arbitrium) is not a biblical term but derives from Stoicism. It was introduced into Western Christianity by the second-century theologian Tertullian, who borrowed this Latin term to translate the Greek word autexousia, which meant something rather different: “responsibility for one’s own actions” is probably the most helpful translation. What Augustine had to do, therefore, was to keep the term “free will” (which during the two centuries since Tertullian had become so well established that its elimination was impossible) but to try and bring its meaning back into line with the teaching of the New Testament, especially that of Paul.
McGrath adds that Augustine did not use the term “to be understood as meaning that human beings have complete freedom in every area of their existence.” Rather, Augustine included these basic elements in his teaching:
- “We are responsible for our own actions, even after the Fall.”
- “We are not puppets trapped in a web of fate, but we have real freedom of action in a number of spheres in our lives. … [Contra the Manichaeans] Augustine insists that human beings have a real, if limited, freedom of choice.”
- “This freedom, however, is compromised by sin, which biases our judgment to the extent that we are unable to break free from it. Like Paul, Augustine often regards sin as a power that needs to be broken — and sees the grace of God as the only way in which we can be liberated from its baleful influence.”
You can also read this post to find out more about this subject.
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