Determined to Believe?

C Lennox John

Description

Determined to Believe is written for those who are interested in or even troubled by questions about God's sovereignty and human freedom and responsibility. John Lennox writes in the spirit of helping people to get to grips with the biblical treatment of this issue for themselves. In this comprehensive review of the topic of theological determinism, Lennox seeks firstly to define the problem, looking at the concepts of freedom, the different kinds of determinism, and the moral problems these pose. He then equips the reader with biblical teaching on the topic and explores the spectrum of theological opinion on it. Following this Lennox delves deeper into the Gospels and then investigates what we can learn regarding determinism and responsibility from Paul's discussion in Romans on God's dealings with Israel. Finally Lennox tackles the issue of Christian assurance. This nuanced and detailed study challenges some of the widely held assumptions in the area of theological determinism and brings a fresh perspective to the debate.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christian theology
• Theology
• Christianity

Informations

• Publié par: Lion Hudson
• Date de parution: 20 octobre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 3
• EAN13: 9780857218735
• Langue: English

Extrait

DETERMINED TO BELIEVE?
Lennox is no fool. Nor does he rush in, though he bravely explores ground where angels may fear to tread. And the overall debate about freedom is an argument for the sake of heaven that no Christian should duck - because it bears on our view of the character of God, of human dignity, of moral responsibility, and therefore on our mission and public witness. Gracious, patient, tenacious, persistently biblical, and eschewing argument by labels, Lennox is a model of how to handle issues that are divisive but important. It is up to each of us to read, study, think, pray, and decide for ourselves. The heart, face, and voice of our faith are all at stake in the answers we give.
O S G UINNESS , author of Impossible People
Professor Lennox raises serious biblical, theological, and philosophical questions about theological determinism - the belief that God has foreordained and rendered certain all that happens including who will be saved and who will not be saved. Anyone curious about this belief must read Determined to Believe?
R OGER E. O LSON , Foy Valentine Professor of Christian Theology and Ethics, George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University
With grace, humility, wisdom, and boldness, John Lennox offers a readable, biblically-informed guide that tackles important questions about freedom and fatalism, salvation and sovereignty, faith and foreordination, regeneration and reprobation. This book will be a help for those perplexed by - and even pressured into accepting - a theological system that strikes them as undermining genuine moral responsibility and calling into question the assurance of salvation.
P AUL C OPAN , Professor and Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach Atlantic University and author of An Introduction to Biblical Ethics and A Little Book for New Philosophers
John Lennox is widely recognized as one of the top Christian intellectuals of our time. Yet he is also rightly admired for his uncanny ability to get right down to the basic issues in a discussion and to write about them with a simple clarity that still exemplifies depth and range of treatment. And, as one would expect, Determined to Believe? is a model of these virtues. This is no ordinary rehash of old debates about Calvinism vs. Arminianism, God s sovereignty vs. free will and moral responsibility, and so on. In fact, the real brilliance of the book lies in Lennox s insistence that we set aside old labels and try a fresh approach with new eyes to the topics related to the acceptance or non-acceptance of theological determinism. As a result, this is a treasure trove of clear, easy to understand biblical exegesis, helpful definitions of key terms like foreknowledge and predestine , and coverage of theological determinism as it relates to the human condition, the nation of Israel and the hardening of Pharaoh s heart, and the assurance a believer may rightly claim regarding one s salvation. I highly recommend this refreshing and helpful book.
- J. P. M ORELAND , Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, La Mirada, California, USA
John Lennox, one of today s finest evangelical minds, treats the reader to a well-argued position on this controversial contemporary debate among evangelicals. Scriptural in content, philosophical in argument, comprehensive in scope, and irenic in tone, it rescues the debate from much of partisan rhetoric so often found in books on the same subject. Finally, a book that avoids a proof-texting approach placing the discussion in the context of the entire Judeo-Christian narrative crafted with exegetical integrity and intellectual rigor. Reading it is like having a stimulating conversation with a good friend.
- B RUCE L ITTLE , Senior Professor of Philosophy, Southeastern Baptist Theology Seminary
In this wide-ranging book that is sure to garner much interest, the polymath and apologist John Lennox turns his attention to issues of long-standing debate within Christian theology: freedom and necessity, sin and grace, predestination and perseverance. In his characteristically insightful and winsome way, Lennox offers probing but charitable criticisms of popular views and suggests a way forward. This book will be helpful in many ways - even (and perhaps especially) for those inclined to disagree with its conclusions.
- T HOMAS H. M C C ALL , Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, Director, Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Determinism, whether biological, emotional or even spiritual, may have shattering effects at all levels, including faith. I have been eyewitness of the shipwreck caused by its influence on some people s lives. In an age prone to extremisms, even in Christian circles, Determined to Believe? is a wise and profoundly biblical demonstration that God s truth cannot be a source of despair or frustration, but a spring of abundant life in Christ. John Lennox s work comes as a necessary and excellent vaccination against the dangers of determinism on the life of faith.
- P ABLO M ART NEZ , psychiatrist, author and Bible teacher

Text copyright John C. Lennox 2017
This edition Lion Hudson IP Ltd 2017
The right of John C. Lennox to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by Monarch Books
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Lion Hudson IP Ltd
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Oxford OX2 8DR, England
Email: [e-mail]
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ISBN 978 0 85721 872 8
e-ISBN 978 0 85721 873 5
First edition 2017
Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise indicated Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder Stoughton, a member of the Hodder Headline Group. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, Anglicized Edition, published by HarperCollins Publishers, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
pp. 28-29 Extract from The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment in The Twentieth Century: an Australian Quarterly Review 1970 C. S. Lewis, reprinted by permission of The C. S. Lewis Company Ltd.
pp. 95-96 Extract from Why I Am a Christian 2003 J. R. W. Stott, reprinted by permission of IVP.
pp. 195-96 Extract from On Original Sin in International Journal of Systematic Theology 2015 Oliver D. Crisp, reprinted by permission of John Wiley and Sons Limited.
Cover image Jason Hetherington/Getty Images
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
This book is for Ben and Rachel
and all others who ask the hard questions
Acknowledgments
I am deeply indebted to many friends for comments on the contents of this book, most of which were gratefully taken on board. In particular, I would like to thank Chris Clarke, Tim Costello, David Cranston, Paul Ewart, David Glass, Max Baker Hytch, Tom McCall, Pablo Martinez Vila, and my ever helpful research assistant Simon Wenham. I am also grateful to my publishers, Lion Hudson, for their constant support and for their provision (once more) of a truly excellent editorial consultant in Richard Herkes.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Prologue
What This Book is About
Part 1: The Problem Defined
1 The Nature and Limitations of Freedom
2 Different Kinds of Determinism
3 Reactions to Determinism - The Moral Problem
4 Weapons of Mass Distraction
Part 2: The Theology of Determinism
5 God s Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
6 The Biblical Vocabulary
Part 3: The Gospel and Determinism
7 Human Capacity and its Limits
8 The Human Condition - Diagnosis and Remedy
9 Drawn by the Father and Coming to Christ
10 The Irreversibility of Regeneration
11 The Gospel and Human Moral Responsibility
Part 4: Israel and Determinism
12 Israel and the Gentiles
13 Why Doesn t Israel Believe?
14 The Hardening of Pharaoh s Heart
15 Is Israel Responsible?
16 Has Israel a Future?
Part 5: Assurance and Determinism
17 Christian Assurance
18 Will Faith in God Endure?
19 Warning in Hebrews
20 Assurance in Hebrews
Epilogue
Questions for Reflection or Discussion
Index
Index of Scripture References
Prologue
The nineteenth-century mathematician and historian of philosophy Augustus De Morgan once issued a warning for the scientist who tried to venture into metaphysics: When he tries to look down his own throat with a candle in his hand, he said, he needs to take care that he does not set his head on fire.
Philosopher Thomas Nagel in The View from Nowhere wrote: I change my mind about the problem of free will every time I write about it
The apostle Paul said:
And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way towards him and find him.
(Acts 17:26-27 ESV.)
One of the most famous encounters between Christianity and philosophy occurred in ancient Athens when the apostle Paul was invited to address the philosophers at the Areopagus Court. The historian Luke tells us that Paul had been discussing the Christian faith with the crowds in the market place when he was approached by representatives of the two leading philosophical schools, Stoics and Epicureans. These philosophers were initially confused about Paul s teaching and wished to know more, so they gave Paul the opportunity to address