DetermiCalvinism

The first topic I began studying in philosophy is the debate between what is commonly known as determinism versus free will. For some reason, I have been fascinated with this issue, perhaps because it has so infiltrated Christianity as well. It seems a belief system based on an all-loving God so involved in the redemptive work of His beloved creation would necessarily require a libertarian point of view, but determinism is widespread in Christianity under the guise of Calvinism. Some of my favorite people to listen to label themselves as Calvinists, including Steve Brown and Greg Koukl, and these and many others are more than willing to not only defend their position, but also explain why they are not determinists as I have said Calvinists are. While I admit I have not done extensive study on the topic by way of reading various books and essays, I have listened intently to Greg Koukl’s defense of Calvinism against the labeling of it as determinism, and his explanation of what Calvinism is confirmed my understanding. With his explanation I still take issue, not to claim that Calvinism is clearly false, but rather that it is in deed determinism.

In a recent podcast, Koukl began by explaining that Calvinism is based on the idea that choices are free at two levels. The first of these levels is the obvious, that actions may be considered freely chosen if the individual both chose the action and could have chosen otherwise. For example, as I write this, I am sipping a frozen mocha, though I could have ordered a latte. By an act of my own free will, I not only chose the frozen mocha, but I did so when I could have freely chosen a latte instead (or both!). The other level of choice is the level at which an action is also chosen by the person, but chosen in accord with that person’s nature, even though that person’s nature does not allow him or her to do otherwise. Koukl relates this to the expression “bound and determined” often used in our culture. It is a matter of saying that, though the person chose an action, there was no other choice for the person to make because of the state of his will. The action is still free because the one acting chose, though he chose in accord with his will and was determined to make that choice and not another.

Considering these two different levels of choice, Calvinism further recognizes that humankind is in a fallen state; the will of each person, by nature of the fall, is set against God. The choice of men and women to rebel against God overall, then, though it is a choice, is a choice on the second of the two levels described above. We cannot of our own accord choose to turn toward God because our wills are set against Him. We choose to rebel consistent with our nature. In response, God, by an act of his own grace, chooses to change the wills of those whom He “elects” so that those individuals can make the choice to turn to God in defiance of their fallen natures. The wills of others, however, God does not choose (“elect”) to change, and they remain in their fallen state, having chosen by their natural wills to reject Him. Thus, Koukl demonstrates that Calvinism is not determinism.

While I can think of ways in which this would be possible without being inconsistent with what I believe the Bible teaches about God’s nature and mankind’s choice, I want to stick with the topic of whether Calvinism is or is not determinism. Perhaps I will write about other issues on this matter at a later time. Determinism, according to the determinist philosopher Robert Blatchford, holds that all events or actions are caused by either heredity (nature) or environment (nurture). If the Calvinist maintains that humans are set against God and choose against Him by virtue of their natural wills, as Koukl explains, then humans are caused by their natures to rebel. Contrary to Koukl’s illustration of the expression “bound and determined”, which implies that a person has chosen of his own accord to set his own will in a certain direction, the fallen state of mankind is not chosen by each individual, but is passed on to all of mankind because of the choice of the first man Adam. The fallen state is passed on from generation to generation. Thus, by way of heredity, Calvinism is determinism.