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Why Free Will Is Real

Author: Christian List

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2019-05-06

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 0674239814

A crystal-clear, scientifically rigorous argument for the existence of free will, challenging what many scientists and scientifically minded philosophers believe. Philosophers have argued about the nature and the very existence of free will for centuries. Today, many scientists and scientifically minded commentators are skeptical that it exists, especially when it is understood to require the ability to choose between alternative possibilities. If the laws of physics govern everything that happens, they argue, then how can our choices be free? Believers in free will must be misled by habit, sentiment, or religious doctrine. Why Free Will Is Real defies scientific orthodoxy and presents a bold new defense of free will in the same naturalistic terms that are usually deployed against it. Unlike those who defend free will by giving up the idea that it requires alternative possibilities to choose from, Christian List retains this idea as central, resisting the tendency to defend free will by watering it down. He concedes that free will and its prerequisites—intentional agency, alternative possibilities, and causal control over our actions—cannot be found among the fundamental physical features of the natural world. But, he argues, that’s not where we should be looking. Free will is a “higher-level” phenomenon found at the level of psychology. It is like other phenomena that emerge from physical processes but are autonomous from them and not best understood in fundamental physical terms—like an ecosystem or the economy. When we discover it in its proper context, acknowledging that free will is real is not just scientifically respectable; it is indispensable for explaining our world.

Free Will and Theism

Author: Kevin Timpe

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 0198743955

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This volume presents a systematic exploration of the relationship between religious beliefs and various accounts of free will in the contemporary domain. With a particular eye on how theological commitments might shape our views about the nature of free will, a team of leading experts in the field explores an important gap in the current debate. They focus their attention on this crucial point of intellectual intersection with surprising and illuminating results.

Christianity and the Problem of Free Will

Author: Leigh Vicens

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2023-06-08

Total Pages: 104

ISBN-13: 1009270443

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Central to the teachings of Christianity is a puzzle: on the one hand, sin seems something that humans do not do freely and so cannot be not responsible for, since it is unavoidable; on the other hand, sin seems something that we must be responsible for and so do freely, since we are enjoined to repent of it, and since it makes us liable to divine condemnation and forgiveness. After laying out the puzzle in more depth, this Element considers three possible responses—libertarian, soft determinist, and free-will skeptic—and weighs the costs and benefits of each.

God, Suffering, and the Value of Free Will

Author: Laura W. Ekstrom

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2021-02-23

Total Pages: 253

ISBN-13: 0197556434

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For many of us, the question of whether or not God exists is one of the most perplexing and profound questions of our lives, and numerous philosophers and theologians have debated it for centuries. Laura Ekstrom here takes a new look at the issue of God's existence by examining it against the reality of human suffering, bringing to the fore contentious presuppositions concerning agency and value at the core of the matter. When we survey the world, we observe an enormous amount of pain, including virtually unspeakable kinds of maltreatment and agony, many instances of which seem patently unfair, unearned, and pointless. This book argues that, in light of these observations, it is reasonable to conclude that God does not exist. The book unravels the extent and power of arguments from evil. Ekstrom provides a close investigation of a largely overlooked claim at the heart of major free-will-based responses to such arguments, namely that free will is worth it: sufficiently valuable to serve as the good that provides a God-justifying reason for permitting evil in the world. Through fresh examinations of traditional theodicies, Ekstrom develops an alternative line called divine intimacy theodicy, and makes an extended case for rejecting skeptical theism. The book takes up an argument from evil concerning a traditional doctrine of hell, which reveals a number of compelling issues concerning fault, agency, and blameworthiness. In response to recent work contending that the problem of evil is toothless because God is indifferent to human beings, Ekstrom defends the essential perfect moral goodness of God. She further tackles the question of whether or not it is possible to live a religious life as an agnostic or as an atheist. Through rigorous reflection, with deep respect for religious thought and experience, and with sensitivity to the range and kinds of suffering so many endure, Ekstrom firmly advances discussion of the problem of evil and paves the way for further scholarship in the philosophy of religion.

Chosen by God

Author: R. C. Sproul

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Published: 2011-02-18

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 1414361149

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Nearly 200,000 copies sold! Chosen by God by Dr. R. C. Sproul is a contemporary classic on predestination, a doctrine that isn’t just for Calvinists. It is a doctrine for all biblical Christians. In this updated and expanded edition of Chosen by God, Sproul shows that the doctrine of predestination doesn’t create a whimsical or spiteful picture of God, but rather paints a portrait of a loving God who provides redemption for radically corrupt humans. We choose God because he has opened our eyes to see his beauty; we love him because he first loved us. There is mystery in God’s ways, but not contradiction.

Making Sense of God

Author: Timothy Keller

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2016-09-20

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 0525954155

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We live in an age of skepticism. Our society places such faith in empirical reason, historical progress, and heartfelt emotion that it’s easy to wonder: Why should anyone believe in Christianity? What role can faith and religion play in our modern lives? In this thoughtful and inspiring new book, pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller invites skeptics to consider that Christianity is more relevant now than ever. As human beings, we cannot live without meaning, satisfaction, freedom, identity, justice, and hope. Christianity provides us with unsurpassed resources to meet these needs. Written for both the ardent believer and the skeptic, Making Sense of God shines a light on the profound value and importance of Christianity in our lives.

Our Fate

Author: John Martin Fischer

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 0199311293

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Our Fate collects John Martin Fischer's previously published articles on the relationship between God's foreknowledge and human freedom. The book includes a substantial new introductory essay that puts all of the chapters into a cohesive framework, and presents a bold new account of God's foreknowledge of free actions in a causally indeterministic world.

Free Will vs. Predestination

Author: Rose Publishing

Publisher: Rose Publishing

Published: 2022-05-03

Total Pages: 28

ISBN-13: 1628622504

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This popular Freewill vs. Predestination Pamphlet compares the beliefs of Calvinism and Arminianism on 5 key topics. This Calvinism and Arminianism comparison chart is helpful for personal use, adult Bible study, Sunday school lessons, and homeschool curriculum. What's at Stake in the Calvinism vs. Arminianism Debate? The two views have many practical implications. Do people have free will or does God predestine them to be saved? If God elects us, is there any reason to spread the Gospel? Can a person lose his salvation? This easy-to-understand pamphlet compares the teachings of Arminianism with Calvinism and gives the key Bible verses you need to understand this important topic. Some people have strong feelings about salvation via "free will" versus "predestination." Both sides use Bible passages to state their case and often the discussion can go in many different directions. The Free Will vs. Predestination pamphlet provides a side-by-side comparison chart of Arminianism and Calvinism on: Free Will and Total Inability Election Atonement Grace Security of the Believer This Free Will vs. Predestination Pamphlet Includes History Timeline of Key Events Predestination Timeline: Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Reformed Churches, Synod of Dort Arminianism Timeline: Pelagius, Erasmus of Ratterdam, Albert Pighius, Arminius, Remonstrants Shows where Free Will vs. Predestination views agree Biblical passages supporting each view. Helps Christians develop an appreciation and respect for each other's beliefs Glossary of words: Arminian Points, Prevenient Grace, Regeneration, Remonstrance, Saints, Synod, and TULIP. Used for Bible study or Individual study Discipleship Small Group or Sunday School class Christian School Homeschoolers New Believers' class Church library Why Buy Easy to read. Explains the Bible visually. Attractive. Full-color, packed with fascinating charts and illustrations. Easy to understand. Uses concise and simple language. Fast. This glossy attractive booklet can take less than 20 minutes to read. Durable. Free Will vs. Predestination glossy coating helps it last. Convenient. This pamphlet's small size makes it easy to carry inside of your Bible, folder, or binder. Engaging. Free Will vs. Predestination offers fascinating facts and handy study tips that revitalize individual and group Bible studies. Lightweight. Easier to mail than a book, enabling you to uplift and equip friends, family members, and missionaries anywhere in the world.

Free Will and the Christian Faith

Author: W. S. Anglin

Publisher: Oxford : Clarendon Press ; Toronto : Oxford University Press

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13:

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Libertarians such as J.R. Lucas have abandoned traditional Christian doctrines because they cannot reconcile them with the freedom of the will. Traditional Christian thinkers such as Augustine have repudiated libertarianism because they cannot reconcile it with the dogmas of the Faith. In Free Will and the Christian Faith, W.S. Anglin demonstrates that free will and traditional Christianity are ineed compatible. He examines, and solves, puzzles about the relationships between free will and omnipotence, omniscience, and God's goodness, using the idea of free will to answer the question of why God allows evil, and presenting arguments that link free will to eternal life and to the nature of revelation. Topics covered include the meaning of life, the soul and Lesbegue measure, and strategies for discerning the voice of God.

God's Problem

Author: Bart D. Ehrman

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2009-10-13

Total Pages: 308

ISBN-13: 0061744409

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One Bible, Many Answers In God's Problem, the New York Times bestselling author of Misquoting Jesus challenges the contradictory biblical explanations for why an all-powerful God allows us to suffer.