I’m talking about In Dominico Eloquio/In Lordly Eloquence: Essays on Patristic Exegesis in Honor of Robert L Wilkin, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), 454 pp. It’s a wonderful looking festschrift with a bunch of essays on a topic that interests me very much. The link is to Dove Booksellers, but I got my brand new copy from Half.com for a mere $4.44 + S&H. Can’t wait until it comes in!
B”H
Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth 
You did not have to buy it. You have free will.
Chuck: I plead combatibilism on this one. I had a choice, but only one, to buy it!
That’s compatibilism, the notion that free will and determinism can co-exist.
Combatibilism sounds like Todd Bentley’s explanation of some of his MMA healing methods.
Or, it could be that after a development of contra-casual choices, Nick voluntarilily surrendered his freedom of choice in this area of interest to where he only seen one choice; he had to buy it!
Chuck: I didn’t even notice the typo, but it’s just too good to change now. :-P
Troy: But there was only one choice — buy or buy! It’s a mystery of the faith that I dare not explore. Who am I to answer back to God? ;)
I suspect a lil’ sacrastic humor… am I right? In order for the mystery (compatibilist notion of freedom) to be accepted, certain propositions need to be established on a more factual basis. Then, once the alledged cases and examples from the Scriptures are proposed, it needs to be established that this is indeed the case on a universal level. That is to say, merely proving that this occasional compatibilist occurance does not prove this is always the case or even the norm. The burden of proof, is of course, on the compatibilist. But, maybe discussing this another time in another heading is more appropriate. I don’t want to entirely go down that road here and highjack your discussion on the patristic book.
Grace and Peace
Oh, and one last thing; to merely play the “Who am I to answer back to God” card, it needs to be pointed out that this rests on certain presuppositions that are mentioned above (that this compatibilist freedom is found in Scripture, and that it is a universal occurance). Too many times have I seen where the assertion that compatiblism (soft or hard determinism, take your pick) is the type of freedom creatures have, and then to keep one from giving the matter much thought, the “Who am I [or you] to answer back to God” card gets played as if that ends the discussion and closes that case. This is just one example of mind control/mental manipulation if not logically fallacious as well. However, we must search the Scriptures and test even this proposition to see if this notion of freedom is indeed biblical.
Troy: Yes, you were correct to detect the sarcasm. I only claim compatibilism when it comes to book purchases. All other times it’s nonsense. :)
Norelli sarcastic? No, I can’t believe it….
Chuck: I know it’s hard to believe. Sarcasm is so foreign to me. ;)
Nick: As I’ve said before, wait until the kid becomes a teenager and you will rue every sarcasm you ever made.
Chuck: Too late!