Freedom of the will--
What is freedom of the will? Can humans experience true freedom in a universe controlled by God, or by Natural Law?
The philosopher Boethius, in Consolation of Philosophy, near the beginning of Book 5, says that the key to freedom of the will is the contemplation of the mind of God. Whereas slavery is the focus away from the mind of God to the body and passions.
The American theologian Jonathan Edward, in Freedom of the Will, argues that the individual human will is free within the confines of God's ultimate freedom. Hence, a person might do a good act within the confines of The Good itself. The question is, does an individual know what is or is not God’s will? And based on this knowledge or ignorance, how does a person act?
Can there be an ultimate good, a universal moral agency, outside of God's grace? Can a person have perfect freedom without God?
Perhaps humans have free will within the confines of God’s grace, where grace is love--hence God’s love overwhelms all that we do. Here, religious conversion is simply awareness of God’s love so that a person acts within the perfect freedom of this love.
Perfect freedom is to break from the constraints of sin and materialism to act according to God’s love.
What is freedom of the will? Can humans experience true freedom in a universe controlled by God, or by Natural Law?
The philosopher Boethius, in Consolation of Philosophy, near the beginning of Book 5, says that the key to freedom of the will is the contemplation of the mind of God. Whereas slavery is the focus away from the mind of God to the body and passions.
The American theologian Jonathan Edward, in Freedom of the Will, argues that the individual human will is free within the confines of God's ultimate freedom. Hence, a person might do a good act within the confines of The Good itself. The question is, does an individual know what is or is not God’s will? And based on this knowledge or ignorance, how does a person act?
Can there be an ultimate good, a universal moral agency, outside of God's grace? Can a person have perfect freedom without God?
Perhaps humans have free will within the confines of God’s grace, where grace is love--hence God’s love overwhelms all that we do. Here, religious conversion is simply awareness of God’s love so that a person acts within the perfect freedom of this love.
Perfect freedom is to break from the constraints of sin and materialism to act according to God’s love.