Leave the Tensions
Calvin’s Account of Human Agency before and after the Fall
In: Journal of Reformed TheologySearch for other papers by Kathryn Shevel in
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Abstract
John Calvin’s account of human agency has been criticized for its lack of a consistent intellectualist or voluntarist explanation of free will, and recent attempts have been made allegedly to smooth out Calvin’s inconsistencies. In response, I argue that the attempt to align Calvin’s theology with either an intellectualist construct or a voluntarist construct conceals all the nuances and difficulties of Calvin’s elaborate doctrine of free choice. Although Calvin upholds the primacy of the intellect as an ideal construct, his understanding of human agency is complex due to his account of the fall. Thus, I argue that the tensions in Calvin should remain, as his different accounts of freedom mirror the type of freedom Adam had in paradise and the disorder that the fall brought to the human faculties.
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| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 589 | 69 | 15 |
| Full Text Views | 116 | 6 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 130 | 12 | 0 |
Leave the Tensions
Calvin’s Account of Human Agency before and after the Fall
In: Journal of Reformed TheologySearch for other papers by Kathryn Shevel in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
John Calvin’s account of human agency has been criticized for its lack of a consistent intellectualist or voluntarist explanation of free will, and recent attempts have been made allegedly to smooth out Calvin’s inconsistencies. In response, I argue that the attempt to align Calvin’s theology with either an intellectualist construct or a voluntarist construct conceals all the nuances and difficulties of Calvin’s elaborate doctrine of free choice. Although Calvin upholds the primacy of the intellect as an ideal construct, his understanding of human agency is complex due to his account of the fall. Thus, I argue that the tensions in Calvin should remain, as his different accounts of freedom mirror the type of freedom Adam had in paradise and the disorder that the fall brought to the human faculties.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 589 | 69 | 15 |
| Full Text Views | 116 | 6 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 130 | 12 | 0 |
