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Discourse on Free Will (Milestones Of Thought)

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Luther once said that the Catholic Church stands or falls on the question of justification and free will: salvation by faith alone, or must the human soul respond? Get a first-hand peek at what Luther thought of the Catholic Church's teachings, and how Erasmus, a Catholic bishop, replied. Don't think you understand the Reformation or the "protest" inherent in Protestantism until you read this book. This is Luther at his fist-pounding best; but Erasmus is sophisticated, irenic, and penetrating. The key question is: who was right? If you're a Christian, don't decide until you've read this cover to cover.

Be advised the Luther is *heavily* abridged. The book itself is not very clear about this fact which becomes obvious as you read it.

I purchased this book for my "Formation of Modern Christianity" class and am in the process of writing my term paper on the debate between Erasmus and Luther on the issue of free will. This book does an excellent job of reviewing Erasmus' case for free will and briefly summarizes Luther's case for the bondage of will, as well. Buy this book if you'd like a concise review of this ongoing debate.

I've been looking for this little gem for years and this was the only copy I could find in English; I couldn't find anything on the Kindle. This is an out of print edition published in 1961. It is the translation by Ernst F. Winter. There were newer editions available, but they were relatively expensive. This edition also has some very brief excerpts from Luther's famous response, but it covers only about 20% of what he wrote. I ordered a cheap Kindle edition of that so I could read the whole thing. I found it interesting that I could find Luther's discourse almost anywhere, but that it was so difficult to find Erasmus' arguments.

So you'll understand my slant on this, I am a strong believer in free will (I'm LDS). I thoroughly enjoyed Erasmus' discourse and thought he did a very good job using Biblical proofs, thoughts of the Christian Fathers, and logic to prove his point. He had a section on Old Testament proofs, another on New Testament proofs, another where he responded to apparent Biblical proofs against free will, and another section responding to proofs Luther had used in the past against free will.

The excerpts from Luther mainly show strong personal attacks on Erasmus and assertions, but I get the feeling that the compiler chose not to show the best parts of Luther's response. I am in the process of reading the complete response of Luther and will have a better idea of its strengths. I disagree profoundly with several of Luther's basic assumptions and interpretations of Paul, but I am still curious to hear his arguments from direct reading of one of his most famous works.

Once again, this book should mainly be read for Erasmus' discourse and not for Luther's since it is just excerpts. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the great debate on free will.

I really enjoyed this book, it helps me to see that God in his sovereignty gives us Free Will.

Readers of Discourse on Free Will, a written debate between Martin Luther and Desiderius Erasmus, will find one of the early essential philosophical divisions of the Roman Catholic Church. These two theologians debate the heart of Luther's fundamental differences over church doctrine. Never mind issues like indulgences and purgatory (indeed Luther thanks Erasmus for not discussing such "trifles") because Luther's primary argument concerned justification by faith through the grace of God. The book compiled here, edited by Ernst Winter, is a glimpse into the minds of these two influential men.

Winter's editing is a bit suspect, as Erasmus enjoys the first 94 pages while Luther receives only the final 44, but this really gives Erasmus more time to make a fool of himself. Erasmus wonders around raising many points and attempts to connect all into his free will argument, but it is not until his conclusion that he begins to make his point. In section 48, Erasmus confuses free will with grace, on page 56 he refers to a chamber pot to make his point. He makes a weak argument until his conclusion, which takes on the appearance of a lawyer closing his case. Ultimately though, one must consider this: Rotterdam has never been known for its scholars; Erasmus is no exception.

But this is not to say Luther is the "winner" here. The book is somewhat akin to a pre-Reformation version of "Grumpy Old Men." The debate gets personal at times. In two instances Luther refers to Erasmus as "stupid" and Erasmus states Luther is "without reason." This makes for a more interesting read but also shows the limits of each man's patience. This book may not be for everyone, but those desiring to know more about the debate of the Catholic Church will find it has much to offer. THere clearly are two different styles here. Erasmus offers hope for all, true to the elements of Humanism, while Luther's effort is not for the faint of heart. Either way, the reader will be richer for the effort.

Desiderius Erasmus and Martin Luther's theological polemic and "Discourse on Free Will" is a wonderful source to understand the thought that classified, diversified, and divided the plain between the classical and orthodox, and the novel and heretical. These view points changed the face of an age - from common belief and good conduct, to individualism and good belief ...with this book you may decide a position for yourself.

A classic intellectual debate in a moderately ponderous translation, demonstrating the timelessness of ignorance , and the futility of religious debate. A great read for the cynical, or the cynical at heart.