Free Will: Jonathan Edwards’ Psychological, Ethical, and Theological Philosophy in his Freedom of the Will
Ebook
Free Will, also known as Freedom of the Will, is appraised as the one of the greatest works ever produced in America. The mid-eighteenth-century New England philosophical theologian Jonathan Edwards (1703-58) defines the will by importing terms from John Locke. Edwards states the Arminian nature of free will, suspects the need for such free will, and finally defends Calvinist free will and objects to the Arminian one. In his argument, he chooses three British antagonists: Daniel Whitby, Thomas Chubb, and Isaac Watts. These antagonists insist that the self-determining will is necessary for us to be morally accountable. Edwards disputes their objections that God's determination is contradictory to the liberty of the human will. He then goes to argue what kind of freedom of the will is necessary for the former and latter to be compatible. Edwards's psychological, moral, and theological philosophy is displayed. In addition, readers can learn how our will chooses something pleasant by following the dictate of understanding, while the author demonstrates the natures of New England Arminianism and Calvinism.
"Beyond all peradventure, the Freedom of the Will is the
cornerstone of Edwards' fame; it is his most sustained intellectual
achievement, the most powerful piece of sheer forensic
argumentation in American literature. It became the Bible of the
New England theology, and is considered by logicians one of the few
proofs in which the conclusion follows inescapably and infallibly
from the premises."
—Perry Miller, Harvard University
“This book alone is sufficient to establish its author as the
greatest philosopher-theologian yet to grace the American
scene.”
—Paul Ramsey, Princeton University
“This new study guide will aid the reading of an important work of
philosophy and theology, Freedom of the Will by Jonathan
Edwards. Dr. Jung has offered a great service to many in the
academy and the church in preparing this study guide.”
—Adriaan C. Neele, Consulting and Digital Editor, Jonathan Edwards
Center at Yale University
“Peter Jung is one of the most important Korean scholars at work on
Jonathan Edwards and his thought. And this monograph on Edwards and
the will is a great example of Jung's scholarly acumen. It is a
marvelous accomplishment that deserves a wide reading.”
—Douglas A. Sweeney, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
“This new edition of Edwards’s classic philosophical argument will
help readers understand this important text and its implications
for past and contemporary debates.”
—Gerald R. McDermott, Samford University
“Jonathan Edwards’s treatise on Freedom of the Will is one
of the most important, and also one of the most demanding, works in
philosophical theology from the modern era, but any who commit
themselves to serious engagement with it will be rewarded. This new
study guide will be helpful to students on many levels and to
church study groups seeking to understand Edwards’ magnificent view
of God and of the human person.”
—Kenneth P. Minkema, Yale University
"A new edition of Edwards' work is a worthy project given the
importance of this work for the history of debates about free will
and religious belief. The introduction to this new edition by Peter
Jung concerning the history and scholarly discussions of Edwards'
seminal work is especially thorough, well-researched, and very
informative."
—Robert Kane, University of Texas at Austin
- Title: Free Will: Jonathan Edwards’ Psychological, Ethical, and Theological Philosophy in his Freedom of the Will
- Author: Peter B. Jung
- Publisher: Resource Publications
- Print Publication Date: 2019
- Logos Release Date: 2024
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781532661426, 1532661428
- Resource ID: LLS:9781532661426
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-22T14:07:52Z
Peter Jung is the research associate of Jonathan Edwards Center
at Yale. He is the author of Life of Jonathan Edwards (1996)
and Jonathan Edwards and New England Arminianism
(2019).