Grace and Freedom: William Perkins and the Early Modern Reformed Understanding of Free Choice and Divine Grace

Richard A. Muller (Senior Fellow, Senior Fellow, Junius Institute for Digital Reformation Research)

Grace and Freedom: William Perkins and the Early Modern Reformed Understanding of Free Choice and Divine Grace
Format
Hardback
Publisher
Oxford University Press Inc
Country
United States
Published
3 September 2020
Pages
248
ISBN
9780197517468

Grace and Freedom: William Perkins and the Early Modern Reformed Understanding of Free Choice and Divine Grace

Richard A. Muller (Senior Fellow, Senior Fellow, Junius Institute for Digital Reformation Research)

Grace and Freedom addresses the issue of divine grace in relation to the freedom of the will in Reformed or Calvinist theology in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century. It focuses on the work of the English Reformed theologian William Perkins, especially his role as an apologist of the Church of England, defending its theology against the Roman Catholic polemic, and specifically against the charge that Reformed theology denies human free choice. Perkins and his Reformed contemporaries affirm that salvation occurs by grace alone and that God is the ultimate cause of all things, but they also insist on the freedom of the human will and specifically the freedom of choice in a way that does not conform to modern notions of libertarian freedom or compatibilism. In developing this position, Perkins drew on the thought of Reformers such as Peter Martyr Vermigli and Zacharias Ursinus, on the nuanced positions of medieval scholastics, and several contemporary Roman Catholic representatives of the so-called second scholasticism. His work was a major contribution to early modern Reformed thought both in England and on the continent. His influence in England extended both to the Reformed heritage of the Church of England and to English Puritanism. On the continent, his work contributed to the main lines of Reformed orthodoxy and to the piety of the Dutch Second Reformation.

This item is not currently in-stock. It can be ordered online and is expected to ship in approx 2 weeks

Our stock data is updated periodically, and availability may change throughout the day for in-demand items. Please call the relevant shop for the most current stock information. Prices are subject to change without notice.

Sign in or become a Readings Member to add this title to a wishlist.