Reformed Thought on Freedom

The Concept of Free Choice in Early Modern Reformed Theology

Edited by Willem J. van Asselt, J. Martin Bac, and Roelf T. te Velde

BakerAcademic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

Grand Rapids, Michigan

© 2010 by Willem J. van Asselt, J. Martin Bac, and Roelf T. te Velde

Published by Baker Academic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakeracademic.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Reformed thought on freedom: the concept of free choice in early modern reformed theology / edited by Willem J. van Asselt, J. Martin Bac & Roelf T. te Velde.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8010-3521-0 (pbk.)

1. Liberty—Religious aspects—Christianity—History of doctrines. 2. Reformed Church—Doctrines. I. Asselt, W. J. van. II. Bac, J. Martin. III. Velde, Roelf T. te.

BT809.R44 209

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Texts and Studies in Reformation and Post-Reformation Thought

General Editor

Prof. Richard A. Muller, Calvin Theological Seminary

Editorial Board

Prof. Irena Backus, University of Geneva

Prof. Susan M. Felch, Calvin College

Prof. A. N. S. Lane, London School of Theology

Prof. Susan E. Schreiner, University of Chicago

Prof. David C. Steinmetz, Duke University

Prof. John L. Thompson, Fuller Theological Seminary

Prof. Willem J. van Asselt, University of Utrecht

Prof. Timothy J. Wengert, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia

Prof. Henry Zwaanstra, Calvin Theological Seminary

Contents

Contributors

Series Preface

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

1. Introduction

1.1 Free Choice: The Fate of the Reformed Tradition

1.2 Continuity of Medieval Method in Post-Reformation Theology

1.3 The Nature and Genres of Reformed Scholastic Texts

1.3.1 Reverent Exposition

1.3.2 Conceptual Analysis

1.3.3 Different Genres

1.4 Clarification of Terms and Concepts

1.4.1 Ontological Concepts

1.4.2 Anthropological Terms

1.4.3 Logical Distinctions

1.5 Survey of Chosen Texts

2. Always Free, but Not Always Good: Girolamo Zanchi (1516–1590) on Free Will

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Translation of the Texts

2.2.1 The Free Choice of Our First Parents before the Fall

2.2.2 Free Will in Unregenerated Man after the First Sin

2.3 Structure of the Text

2.4 Terminological Clarification

2.5 Nature and Object of Free Will

2.6 Different Kinds of Freedom

2.7 Freedom and Necessity

2.8...