First written in 1543, The Bondage And Liberation Of The Will: A Defence Of The Orthodox Doctrine Of Human Choice Against Pighius is an English translation by G. I. Davies of one of John Calvin's profound theological works concerning the relationship between grace and free will. Astutely edited with meticulous notes by A. N. S. Lane (Director of Research and Senior Lecturer in Christian Doctrine at the London Bible College), The Bondage And Liberation Of The Will is an historically important and influential treatise of religious and historical significance, and one which is very strongly recommended for Christian Studies theological reference and resource shelves.

This is an excellent debate on free will and predestiantion. it is extremely scholaraly and Calvin is more nuanced and complex than Luther. this book centers around Augustinian thought, as both Rome and the Reformers claimed him as their champion on this issue. Calvin showed conclusively, that Augustine sided with the reformers and solidified the reformation as something not novel, but as a spokesman for Augustine on the treatment of the will and the sinful state of man. The Reformation, it has been said, was the victory of Augustine's thoughts on salvation over Augustine's thoughts of the church.

This is an excellent review of the response of Calvin to A. Pighius and the debates of the 1540's concerning the Will of Man, and Predestination. This work covers many areas not covered in other English Translations of Calvin's works, and is very informative concerning Calvin's treatment of the relation between grace and free will.

John Tyler is an excellent personality. I met him today and his way of interaction and honesty was excellent. And this book was excellent. Hats off John.

I have this book. I also loaned it to my girl friend, and she read the whole book in about 2.5 hours. She loved it, too. It's a book for anyone really. We enjoyed reading the book because we could look back over our lives (we're in our 70s), and reflect on things we could have done to improve our relationships with others. Our children should read this book to enhance their marriages, and their kids should read it before they plan to marry. They could take the tests after reading the book to see if they are compatible - for the long haul.

I am the Author. Some friends have read the book, and have learned how to become "aware" of and appreciative of good relationships. Some have had to recognize bad relationships, and have come to the realization that it may be time to "cut the cord" because "love in the relationship is dead." Others have improved their relationships by taking the two relationship tests in the book, and have been willing to work on the areas that need attention. Overall, some 304 people (web statistics) have read the book since its publication, and have enjoyed it - including Barney Frank, U.S. Congressman - who endorsed the rear cover.

This thin little book is no lightweight. It's a Trojan horse that delivers timeless substance from the Scriptures on how to think about and live the Christian life. It reaches head and heart, and so is extremely practical--without being a simplistic "how-to" book. I have used it in a number of one-on-one discipling relationships; its small size makes it manageable and appealing to busy people, but God uses its substantive and convicting teaching to affect lives. Buy a copy for yourself and another for someone you care about, and get ready for sharpening discussions.

How do you review a book such as this one? When I first read this book several years ago, it changed the way I thought and lived the Christian life. Now, rereading it some years later, it reminds me of just how foundational it was in my way of thinking of "the Christian life". Especially in the way it taught me (and others through me who I teach) how important and "normal" is suffering in the true Christian life. It is through suffering God conforms us to the image of Christ.

This is a volume taken from the third volume of 'Calvin's Institutes' and has been incredibly helpful for Christians for over 400 years! One of the things you will find about this book is how extremely easy it is to understand it, as well as practical (in fact it is almost like it was written yesterday). Oftentimes, it is easy to think that a book written originally in the 16th century would be both difficult and impractical! However, this book is biblically crystal clear as well as useful! I have given this book away often and I have only seen growth in those to whom I have given it! May it be a new book for you, or one you buy again for a friend.

Calvin is the master exegete. Calvin pastors his readers with a glimpse into the eternal purposes of suffering. The author encourages the suffering saint to see that Jesus Christ was the ultimate suffering servant and that our temporal afflictions are sent from God to cause us to rely on Christ and promote obedience, sobriety, righteousness and godliness. The book is a quick, understandable read as it is a distillation of portions of his "Institutes." This work should dispel the false notion that all that interests Calvin is predestination!

I read this book as a child and re-read it everytime I visited my grandmother's farm. It never fails to delight people of all ages in communicating the Christian based parables within it.
I was sorry to see that it is no longer in print. It is timeless.

Hooray! I read this book almost 40 years ago and I am so happy to see it again. It contains great parables that kids of all ages will be able to relate to and remember. The issues are timeless and parents would be well advised to read it to and with their children.

Absolutely fantastic book that logically and systematically rips the foundation out from under the Arminianistic position. This is single most important book I have ever read on this topic. It answers most of the objections to Calvinism head on in a scholarly and highly readable fashion (assuming you at least got through a college education). Just check out who these authors are! The finest minds in the reformed field today! Piper and Ware are particularly convincing in their respective chapters. As I noted in the heading, you can still get most of the contents of this book as "Still Sovereign" in paperback -- it was recently reissued under that title. So read it, digest it, then rip apart the Arminianists!!! Have fun...

To many people today, Calvinism is an anachronism. How can 20th century people take a teaching seriously which proclaims that God is good, and yet completely in control of the world? Could a good God really be all-powerful, and yet allow (or even ordain) some of the atrocities that have been perpetrated in our own century?

The 10 contributors show that a proper understanding of the Bible involves believing that God is indeed sovereign, yet also loving, just and good.

John Piper's helpful chapter asks the question "Are there 2 wills in God?" And then seeks to show that God does indeed "fulfil all his will" and yet "is not willing that any should perish."

S.M. Baugh discusses the meaning of "foreknowledge" in the Bible, and argues persuasively that God's foreknowledge must mean a lot more than knowing what is going to happen in the future.

Jerry Bridges shows that a belief in the sovereignty of God has practical implications for everyday living, while Samuel Storms explains how it is worth praying to a God who has already decreed "the end from the beginning." In fact, he argues that there is not much point in praying to a God who is not in complete control of his world.

This book has been one of the most helpful explanations of Calvinism which I have read. Highly recommended.

When people think of the Reformation, two people often come to mind. The first is generally Martin Luther and the second is often John Calvin. Alister McGrath does a service both to historians and Christians; his balanced scholarship sets new standards for biographical writing. McGrath discusses Calvin's life, his academic experience, and his theology. McGrath also includes chapters on Calvin's turbulent relationship with the city of Geneva and properly shows that the man and the city had a significant influence on each other.

One of the best parts of this book is that McGrath puts Calvin in to proper historical context by discussing both France and the dominant intellectual trends therein and discussing the city with which Calvin would become forever associated with, Geneva. All throughout the work, McGrath will invite the reader to consider the problems encountered by the Calvin historian; where there is little documentation, McGrath is not afraid to tell the reader. Though McGrath has a clear perspective on who Calvin was and his contribution to history, he acknowledges the contributions of different historians and modifies his position when necessary. This book is not all intellectual and theological history; McGrath explains the social and political significance of heresy and discusses which classes of people tended to adopt Calvinism and why.

Some of the interesting observations that McGrath makes throughout the work:

- Calvin never opposed Copernicus' theory of heliocentrism; there is nothing to suggest that in, "The Institutes of the Christian Religion," (Calvin's main work of theology) or any of his other works. Indeed the first mention that Calvin was critical of Copernicus was in a 19th century biography of Calvin, written by the Anglican Dean od Canterbury, Frederick William Farrar (1831-1903)

- Calvin's relationship to Calvinism; one of the interesting problems in history is to examine the relation between leaders and the movements that they establish. If one looks at John Calvin's theology, one finds that the doctrine of predestination has quite a minor role. It was only later theologians working in what may be called the "Reformed" or the "Calvinist" tradition that put such an emphasis on the doctrine of predestination, election etc...

- Calvin's relationship to the emergence of modern capitalism; it has become a popular position among some historians to exaggerate the role of Calvin in the development of modern capitalism. McGrath notes that Calvin's real contribution was more so creating a religious outlook that removed restraints on capitalism (e.g. Calvin did not consider lending money at interest to be immoral) and his positive emphasis of the value of work, especially physical labour.

- There was analysis of the way Calvinism favored being involved in the world, rather than withdrawing. The only drawback to this approach is that sometimes the social practices of Calvinism would gradually lose their religious core and become secularized. One of the examples of this is how the doctrine of predestination is easily degraded into a vague notion of fate, destiny or in American history, "manifest destiny."

There were two chapters on Calvin's most important work of theology, "The Institutes of the Christian Religion." I am interested in knowing something of the history of theology but I am not dedicated enough to read through all of the Institutes. McGrath, of course, advises the reader to do this but nonetheless he provides a useful overview of the book.

The last few chapters discuss the movement known as Calvinism and its impact on work, the development of capitalism and several other issues. These last few chapters are of particular value because they remind you that theology has a major influence in real life.

I recommend this book for people that wish to understand the second generation of the Reformation following Martin Luther; Calvinism was an international movement of considerable importance and it continues to be relevant today. The book includes numerous black and white prints of Calvin, Francois I, a map of Paris and other relevant pictures. There is a glossary of terms and an index for easy reference.

This is indeed an exciting work on a man so often slandered by biographers. McGrath shows the man as he was, a man. A man of true genius, respectability, and honor (yet a man nonetheless). It was a pleasure to read this work, and a credit (once again) to the work of a good and honorable author.

Dennis Tamburello is pure genius. His clear writing simply brings St. Bernard to life in this scholarly portrayal. This goes down with "Ordinary Mysticism" as one of the biggest classics of our time.

intelligently written and great for everyone who loves st. bernard. books written by bernard are difficult to read, you really have to like this guy, he is very flowery and does not speak to us in our time. not contemporary. so in this book you only get small doses of bernard and it is very good. unlike leaders in the catholic church bernard does not shrink from giving priority to faith over good works. catholics today stress being good deed doers. god accepts us because of belief in Christ. this emphasis and other medieval thoughts present in bernard's mystical writings are a pleasure to read being examined by the scholarly author.

Batchelor mixes fact and fiction to amazing effect in this unfairly forgotten novel of Civil War intrigue. The two protagonists -- one, a Northern-born Confederate intelligence officer ordered to burn down Manhattan; the other, a Union cavalry major assigned to Lafayette Baker's Secret Service -- circle one another in ever-tightening spirals as the 1864 election approaches with Lincoln's election -- and Union victory -- still quite doubtful.

There really was an almost-successful Confederate plot to burn down Manhattan, and so terrorize the North into voting not for Lincoln (and total war), but for Gen. George B. McClellan (who ran on the promise to sue for peace if elected). And after reading an obscure article in Civil War Times magazine, I learned that Batchelor's Confederate spymaster was a real person -- the man whose identity the rebel agents took to their graves. What Batchelor does with this raw material is construct an 1864 of holodeck-like reality, and immerse the reader in it to a greater depth and intensity than Shaara in Killer Angels or Frazier in Cold Mountain. His reconstruction of Washington, D.C., New-York, and the Niagara Falls of the title (whence the rebel terrorists entered the country from Canada) is detailed in the extreme.

Overlaid upon this framework is an intricately plotted story that includes hefty dollops of spycraft, intrigue, love and betrayal, loyalty and regret, and spot-on period dialogue.

Like Forsythe's assassination attempt in The Day of the Jackal, the historical outcome of the Confederate plan is predetermined -- but you'd never guess that from the page-turning narrative. You're in late 1864, things are desperate for both North and South, and it seems as though the plot is foolproof and the participants more real than yourself. If you can find and read this gem of historical/cultural/military/spy fiction, you'll never want it to end.

I am the Boris in John Derbyshire's brilliant first novel. I have had the priviledge of having Mr. Derbyshire work in my Department at a Wall Street firm allowing him to write his novel at the office. What has John done? He has put together a masterful novel of a Chinese immigrant who comes to this country with his Chinese wife and as many of us do, fantasizes about a former girlfriend who has also immigrated to this country. Unlike many of us husbands, he visits her. He then weaves in the 30th president of the United States who helps preserve his marriage. It should be noted that Mr. Derbyshire is English, went to China to teach and fell in love with and married one of his students. He does have a genuine fondness for Mr. Coolidge. We have debated to what extent the book is autobiographical, which he vehemetly denies although his wife hates the book. So be it. If you want a good, thoughtful read, try this acclaimed book.

Seeing Calvin Coolidge in a Dream is a fine work, quite amazing in weaving together such different strands as the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the pain of regret and lost love, the terse, no-nonsense wisdom of a vastly underrated President and individual, and the question of making moral choices. A book very deliberately against the modern grain. In short, just what we need in an age when art so often fails to elevate.

I understand this is the author's first published novel, and it is a masterpiece. The Englishman manages to capture the cadences of both Chinese immigrant and Yankee Puritan with aplomb. The use of language is breathtaking, the analogies awesome and the story itself charming, funny and totally uplifting. In the process he manages to paint a wonderful portrait of the most neglected President of the twentieth century, the magnificent Calvin Coolidge.

Much has been said about Mr. Rainey's gift for capturing the African American experience on paper. These statements narrow Mr. Rainey's gift. He gives voice to all the rural south. Reading his book, hearing his characters speak, I heard the voices of my childhood in central Florida back when folks remembered hard times, cattle country, and dirt farmers. I heard my own granddaddy's stories in Mr. Rainey's stories and heard the stories of my aunts and grandmothers, all told on the back porch while shelling peas. I suspect if they still lived, they'd hear the voices of their own aunts and grandparents in these pages. Mr. Rainey's words, his characters, their stories, are timeless. The things boys do to make mischief are the things boys do to make mischief, whether in Florida or Georgia, whether nowadays or back then. And "back then" can be a long way back. I wish my father was still alive to read this book. North Georgia in the 1920's, running barefoot across his uncle's fields with his cousins, and Florida in the 90's are just not that different when Mr. Rainey does the telling. Not unlike Mark Twain and Zora Neale Hurston, Mr. Rainey's characters and their stories are timeless.

I read this book three years ago and recently ordered a copy as a gift for my mother. Despite the fact that it's been three years, I still remember the characters, especially Grandma Gert, and the humor that they evoked. John Calvin Rainey did a spectacular job in capturing the true essence of African Americans in the South. It doesn't matter whether it's Florida or Arkansas, the warmth and wit knows no boundaries.

I don't think I've ever "lived in a novel" as much as I have with this book. When you're reading it, you can almost feel yourself experiencing the same thoughts and actions as young Johnny, a boy who moves with his family to a rural Florida town. This is one of the few books I've read that depicts the life of rural blacks in Florida, a truly underrepresented population in American fiction. Only Zora Neale Hurston expresses this unique culture as well as Rainey, and that's saying a lot! Buy this book now!