Abstract

For Calvin there are 'two issues', the fallenness of humanity and God's providence over all, which must be kept separate in our thinking. Using his The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, this Chapter shows for Calvin how the Fall results in the loss of free will in the sense that mankind is no longer able to choose the good. But his ability to choose between alternatives in 'earthly things' is unimpaired. How far the 'two issues' can be kept separate is considered, and the deterministic implications of Calvin's general approach are considered further.