Postscript on Free Will

Theological Letters

In my previous letter, I wrote to “Chas,” an Orthodox inquirer who had been influenced by my work. He wrote to me, asking about compatibilism, a position on free choice that, in my experience, often confuses students and laity alike. I clarified for him the various positions on free will and then explained where the Eastern fathers sit within that debate. That original letter can be found here.

After sending that letter to “Chas,” I realized there was still one stone left unturned — specifically concerning the Eastern patristic use of agricultural metaphors to discuss the dynamic interplay between God’s pursuit of the creature and the creature’s self-determination. Hence, I sent this quick followup, posted below.

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Dear “Chas,”

It occurred to me that I never explained what the sun-soil analogy is meant to convey in the Eastern fathers. I simply presumed its meaning was obvious, given your email and that you’ve evidently heard me speak on it in the past. But just in case it is not obvious, I thought I would offer just a quick postscript on the point.