Monday, June 02, 2008

At the Kilns: Lewis on Predestination

In Doug Wilson’s article, “Was C.S. Lewis Reformed?” he addresses C.S. Lewis’s understanding of the seemingly contradictory tension between “predestination” and “man’s responsibility” apparent in the Scriptures. Wilson writes that “[C.S. Lewis] refused to set one truth against another.” Wilson goes on, quoting Lewis on the subject: “Of course reality must be self-consistent; but till (if ever) we can see the consistency it is better to hold two inconsistent views than to ignore one side of the evidence . . . It is plain from Scripture that, in whatever sense the Pauline doctrine is true, it is not true in any sense which excludes its (apparent) opposite.” Although Lewis wasn't "reformed" per se, Doug Wilson comments, “It is important here to note how Lewis named the doctrine of predestination under discussion—the ‘Pauline doctrine.’ And he assumed it was true in some sense which would make people think it might exclude its apparent opposite—the genuine freedom of men and women. But of course, because God cannot lie, no truths contradict at the ultimate level. God is sovereign and the creature is free.”

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to complain that I was very excited to see that you had posted a new blog but when I came I found that you had actually cheated today by quoting someone else. I think my quick first count found that you only used 34 words of your own and the rest was quotation....

I'll let it slide this time, but once you are done with June exams you better post something really original. :-)

And did you notice that I used a Shakespeare line in my latest post. Yup. I'm cerebral alright.

Jeremy W. Johnston said...

I am truly sorry for my lack of original posting lately... I will strive to remedy the situation... soon!

Jer