The Free Will Controversy

The Free Will Controversy Between the years of 1524 and 1527, Erasmus Desiderius and Martin Luther were tangled up in an interesting controversy (Bainton 187). This controversy surprisingly did not involve the authority of the pope, the nature of the church, indulgences, or any of the other practices that each man equally detested. It involved the philosophical topic regarding the question of free or enslaved will (Faulkner 171). Preserved Smith defines free will as the power to apply ones …

…end it was Luther who prevailed (Zweig 139). Luther abandoned Erasmus and thought of him as the "vainest" person in the world. He thought of Erasmus as an enemy to religion (Schaff 434). I never came across a clear and concrete resolution of this controversy. There is no doubt that arguments can be made for both sides. There is also plenty of evidence to conclude that this controversy was extremely interesting due to the two people involved.