What is the Reformed View of Free Will?

Debates over free will typically occupy Calvinists and Arminians. But did you know that even within the Reformed camp there has been recent debate over how to define free will? In this podcast, J. V. Fesko and Matthew Barrett discuss the relationship between God’s sovereignty and human free will with philosophical theologian, Paul Helm. Helm graciously tackles the views of Richard A. Muller and Antonie Vos to argue that compatibilism is deeply rooted in the mainstream understanding of the reformers’ conviction on the matter. Additionally, the three discuss the views of one of history’s key thinkers on this doctrine, Jonathan Edwards.

For more on this topic, read Helm’s book, Reforming Free Will: A Conversation on the History of Reformed Views edited by J. V. Fesko and Matthew Barrett (Mentor, 2020). 

Paul Helm is Emeritus Professor of the History and Philosophy of Religion, King’s College, London, and publishes online at his blog Helms Deep. the author of several books including Eternal God: A Study of God without Time, The Beginnings: Word and Spirit in Conversion, Human Nature from Calvin to Edwards, The Providence of God, and Calvin and the Calvinists.

J. V. Fesko serves as professor of systematic and historical theology at RTS Jackson. He has been an ordained minister since 1998 in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church serving as a church planter, pastor, and now teacher. Dr. Fesko has authored or edited more than twenty books including Reforming Apologetics: Retrieving the Classic Reformed Approach to Defending the Faith, The Trinity and the Covenant of Redemption, Death in Adam, Life in Christ: The Doctrine of Imputation, Justification: Understanding the Classic Reformed Doctrine, and The Covenant of Works: The Origins, Development, and Reception of the Doctrine (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020).

Matthew Barrett is the author of Simply Trinity: The Unmanipulated Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Baker). He is the founder and executive editor of Credo Magazine and host of the Credo podcast. He is associate professor of Christian theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.