How are we to understand the freedom for which Christ has set us free (Gal 5:1)? Could it be that we have barely glimpsed what this might mean? Most theological accounts of freedom think of it either in terms of heteronomy (in which we submit to God or to our sinful inclinations) or autonomy (in which we are given the power of choice and are thus free to choose between good and evil). If Calvinists have championed the former, Arminians have advocated the latter. More recently, open theists, in significantly modifying the ...
Read More
How are we to understand the freedom for which Christ has set us free (Gal 5:1)? Could it be that we have barely glimpsed what this might mean? Most theological accounts of freedom think of it either in terms of heteronomy (in which we submit to God or to our sinful inclinations) or autonomy (in which we are given the power of choice and are thus free to choose between good and evil). If Calvinists have championed the former, Arminians have advocated the latter. More recently, open theists, in significantly modifying the Arminian paradigm, have begun to recognize that neither tradition has provided an account of the fuller freedom that God intends for us. This book joins the debate at this point, not in order to take sides, but to suggest a theology that can get beyond (not between) the heteronomy and autonomy that seem to exhaust the present theological options. Clark Pinnock serves as the chief protagonist because of his role as a leading figure in the "Openness of God" movement. As his own development moves from Calvinism to Arminianism to open theism, this allows the present work to offer its sympathetic critique in the form of an invitation: that we continue to journey in the spirit of openness beyond both heteronomy and autonomy, towards a view of divine and human freedom that is covenantal, participatory, and unlimited.
Read Less
