The Freedom of the Will Jonathan Edwards A modern translation with commentary and analysis by S. C. Sayles.
Abstract
Jonathan Edwards’ Freedom of the Will has long been recognised as one of the most formidable philosophical-theological works produced in the Protestant tradition. Yet for many readers—pastors, students, philosophers, and theologians alike—it has remained more revered than read. The difficulty has never been the importance of the subject, but the density of eighteenth-century prose, the unfamiliar metaphysical vocabulary, and the sustained logical precision demanded of the reader. This modern translation and commentary removes those barriers without domesticating the argument. It succeeds where many editions fail: Edwards is not softened, psychologised, or selectively excerpted. Instead, he is rendered intelligible on his own terms. The result is not merely a clearer Edwards, but a more disturbing one—because once understood, his argument presses inexorably on modern assumptions about freedom, autonomy, moral responsibility, and judgment. ________________________________________
Fields of Study & Subjects
Theology and Philosophy of Evil
Seventeenth-Century Political and Philosophical Thought
Reformation and Early Modern Christianity
Publication details
- Journal / source
- PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation)
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book