Freedom of the Will

Freedom of the Will is a deeply affecting Christian text that serves as a philosophical guide to the free will of people, their moral agency, and our accountability to God.

Jonathan Edwards was a Protestant theologian and a leading revivalist preacher during the Great Awakening. Edwards wrote Freedom of the Will in the eighteenth century while working as a missionary to a tribe of Housatonic Native Americans in Massachusetts. He carefully drew out the differences of thought between the Calvinist and Arminian theologies and sided with the Calvinist views on humanity's will. Edwards sought to understand God's foreknowledge and how it related to free will and the ability to choose between good and evil. Ultimately, he concluded that to find salvation we must accept God's grace and trust in what is good, which God has foreordained, and use our free will to seek it out in all our choices.

1. Introduction And Concerning The Nature Of The Will
2. Concerning The Determination Of The Will
3. Concerning The Meaning Of The Terms "Necessity "Impossibility" "Inability" And Of "Contingent"
4. Of The Distinction Of Natural And Moral Necessity And Inability
5. Concerning The Notion Of Liberty And Of Moral Agency
6. Wherein It Is Considered Whether There Is Or Can Be Any Sort Of Freedom Of Will
7. Several Supposed Ways Of Evading The Foregoing Reasoning Considered
8. Whether Any Event Whatsoever, And Volition In Particular, Can Come To Pass Without A Cause Of It's Existence
9. Whether Volition Can Arise Without A Cause Through The Activity Of The Nature Of The Soul
10. Showing That If The Things Asserted In These Evations Should Be Supposed To Be True
11. Concerning The Will Determing In Things Which Are Perfectly Indifferent In The View Of The Mind
12. Concerning The Supposed Liberty Of The Will As Opposite To All Necessity
13. Concerning The Notion Of Liberty Of Will Consisting In Indifference
14. Of The Connection Of The Acts Of The Will With The Dictates Of The Understanding
15. Volition Necessarily Connected With The Influence Of Motives
16. The Evidence Of God's Certain Foreknowledge Of The Volitions Of Moral Agents
17. God's Certain Foreknowledge Of The Future Volitions Of Moral Agents
18. Whether We Suppose The Volitions Of Moral Agents To Be Connected With Anything Antecedent Or Not
19. Wherein Is Inquired Whether Any Such Liberty Of Will As Arminians Hold Be Necessary To Moral Agency, Virtue, Praise, And Dispraise
20. The Acts Of The Will Of The Human Soul Of Jesus Christ
21. The Case Of Such As Are Given Up Of God To Sin And Of Fallen Man In General
22. Command And Obligation To Obedience Consistent With Moral Inability To Obey
23. That Sincerity Of Desires And Endeavors, Which Is Supposed To Excuse In The Nonperformance Of Things In Themselves Good, Particularly Considered
24. Liberty Of Indifference, Not Only Not Necessary To Virtue, But Utterly Inconsistent With It
25. Arminian Notions Of Moral Agency
26. Wherein The Chief Grounds Of The Reasoningss Of Arminians Are Considered
27. The Falsness And Inconsistence Of That Metaphysical Notion Of Action And Agency
28. The Reasons Why Some Think It Contrary To Common Sense, To Suppose Those Things Which Are Necessary, To Be Worthy Of Either Praise Or Blame
29. It Is Agreeable To Common Sense, And The Natural Notions Of Mankind, To Suppose Moral Necessity To Be Consistent With Praise And Blame, Reward And Punishment
30. Concerning Those Objections
31. Concerning That Objection Against The Doctrine Which Has Been Maintained, That It Agrees With The Stoical Doctrine Of Faith, And The Opinions Of Mr. Hobbes
32. Concerning The Necessity Of The Divine Will

Jonathan Edwards

"[I wish] to lie low before God, as in the dust; that I might be nothing, and that God might be all, that I might become as a little child."

Jonathan Edwards (b. 1703–d. 1758) was a multi-talented individual, serving as a pastor, educator, missionary, theologian, and philosopher.

In 1729, Jonathan assumed the role of the sole preacher in the Northampton, Massachusetts parish, a position that would shape his legacy.

During this time, Edward's path intertwined with that of Sarah Pierrepont, whom he would eventually marry. Their union, described as an ""uncommon union,"" brought deep satisfaction to both. Together, they raised a family of 11 children, a testament to their enduring love.

In 1734, Edward's preaching on justification by faith sparked a spiritual revival in his community. With his words, he ignited a fire in the hearts of his parishioners, leading to numerous conversions and a surge in devotion. His sermons, filled with overwhelming arguments and intense emotions, captivated listeners and inspired change. Particularly, he gained international recognition for his involvement in two periods of religious awakening. During the ""Great Awakening"" in 1741, he delivered a sermon that would bring him fame, titled Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.

Throughout his career, Edwards provided valuable insights on the movement. Notable works include Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God, Some Thoughts Concerning the Revival, and A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections. Additionally, he authored The Life of David Brainerd, a biography of the passionate young missionary who tragically passed away from tuberculosis in Edwards's home, and who was the unspoken fiancé of Jonathan’s treasured daughter, Jerusha, who is buried beside David in Northampton.

Later, Edwards took on the role of a missionary to the Mahicans (or Mohicans) and Mohawks in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It was during his time in Stockbridge that he penned several treatises that solidified his reputation as one of the most influential philosophical theologians of his era. These works include Freedom of Will and The End for Which God Created the World.

Edwards remains highly regarded as the most original and influential Protestant theologian to emerge from America. His contributions to the history of religion are significant, and his legacy extends far beyond the United States, but above all else, he and his wife Sarah desired and pursued a life of living in the love of their Heavenly Father.