In general, most Christian theologians who believe in free will do not believe that people can save themselves. They believe that truly righteous living must come from God's grace and spiritual regeneration. For example, the author of the work, On the Calling of the Gentiles, describes the will as threefold: sensitive, animal, and spiritual. The … Continue reading Blogging the Institutes | 2.1.5 | Different Kinds of Free Will According to Some Christians

Through church history, all Christian theologians have acknowledged that human reason was seriously injured by sin. Moreover, they also taught that the human will was entangled by evil desires. Unfortunately, too many of them took the same approach as the non-Christian philosophers. Some of the ancient Christian writers appear to me to have exalted human … Continue reading Blogging the Institutes | 2.1.4 | Early Christian Views on Free Will

Some non-Christian writers will admit the limits of human reason due to their own experiences. They might have at one time failed to resist the lure of temptation, or have been duped by some false religion, or have been controlled by their emotions instead of rational thoughts. For this reason, Cicero says that the sparks … Continue reading Blogging the Institutes | 2.1.3 | Non-Christians Denigrate Sin and Elevate Reason