Rating: 
Summary: Well Written
Review: Wright's book can be misleading by the title. Unfortunately, many people from the Reformed camps run around saying "we have no freewill." Wright's book may lead someone to do just that, but Wright isn't denying all forms of freewill, he is denying libertarian free will specifically. Towards the end of his book, he explains what it is for a Calvinist to say someone freely chooses something; but you have to be alert, it comes up in a sentence or two. His book is composed from two different styles: philosophy and theology (via scripture). He looks at some of the issues such as prophecy, God's knowledge, character, etc. Keep in mind though, Wright is not a professional philosopher. That is not to say his arguments are no good, but may be countered by molinism. Beyond that, the meat of his book is scriptural, and perhaps what is persuasive about his case. The book chapters are as follows: 1. An Ancient & Continuing Controversy
2. The Incoherence of the Freewill Theory
3. What Makes Us Human? Humanism and Christianity
4. Apostate Autonomism: The Fall & the Autonomist Theoria
5. Salvation as God's Choice to Save: All is of Grace
6. Depravity & Election: Spiritual Incompetence & Divine Sovereignty.
7. Grace & Perserverance: Salvation & Its Security
8. An Effective Atonement
9. Are There Any "Arminian Verses" in the Bible?
10. The Problem of Evil: The Final Stronghold of Unbelief?
11. The Location of Ultimacy & the Attributes of God: A Current Debate. I highly recommend this book for a beginner-moderate reading level. (...)
Rating:
Summary: Thought Out and Scripturally Based
Review: Wright's book shines as a book that is both thought out and based squarely on Scripture, and for that he deserves to be commended. He states accurately that evangelical Christianity is too quick to accept contradictions where none is needed and explain them away as mystery simply to hold extrabiblical presuppositions. I must respectfully disagree with the previous review of this book (johniii) and say that Wright's insistance on logical continuity is reasonable. Wright is not against the plain interpretation of Scripture, but what he is saying is that Scripture is not going to logically contradict itself, and if you have a presupposition (e.g. free will) that, when taken to its logical conclusion, contradicts Scripture, then the presupposition must be wrong (because Scripture is certainly right). He may overemphasize logical continuity to an extent, but I would give him a little room there considering that most evangelical Christians ignore the concept completely and that problem is far worse. Wright makes every effort to ensure that his thesis is Scriptural (and I believe it is) and to back it up with all means that are appropriate. His book, although not a good starting point for those interested in predestination or free will (as it IS very technical and scholarly in nature), is a must-read for those who have already delved into the subject.
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