The Bondage of the Will
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Publisher Description
"Even grammarians and schoolboys on street corners know that nothing more is signified by verbs in the imperative mood than what ought to be done, and that what is done or can be done should be expressed by words in the indicative. How is it that you theologians are twice as stupid as schoolboys, in that as soon as you get hold of a single imperative verb you infer an indicative meaning, as though the moment a thing is commanded it is done, or can be done?"
The Bondage of the Will is considered by many as Martin Luther's most important work. The title of this work was a response to Erasmus' letter titled, Freedom of the Will, where his argument was that God's commands implied moral ability. In what has been considered a brilliant response to this was Luther's proposition that God's commands actually implied inability! This was simply Luther's near and dear doctrine of total depravity but in a form that is direct in its address and persuasive in its candor.
This electronic edition features an active table of contents.
The Bondage of the Will is part of The Fig Classic Series on Reformation Theology. To view more books in our catalog, visit us at fig-books.com
Customer Reviews
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This is one of the most important primary sources to read from the Reformation for anyone seeking either spiritual benefit or historical and intellectual understanding. While I think it does represent a very good argument in its own right, even if Luther does devolve into pedantry at some points and an over abundance of citation, understanding the Augustinian, monergistic theology that laid at the heart of the Protestant Reformation is essential to understanding the significance of the event as a whole. As Luther says, by attacking him on the issue of the natural ability of the will, Erasmus had struck upon the very heart of the issue and had grasped upon the essence of the Reformation itself. "Salvation is of the Lord."