Just to demonstrate that my last post was not my official application to join the Steve Hays fan club, I now refer the reader to Perry Robinson's response to Steve Hays on the question of free will. Hays had previously drafted several blog entries directly or indirectly in dialogue with Perry on the subject: one relating to how Calvinism can survive Perry's earlier critique Bad Calvinism?, another on the issue of divine simplicity, and another on Peter van Inwagen's rejection of theological determinism. In the last article, the one to which Perry is responding, Hays concludes that libertarian free will is "is incoherent on the same grounds as retrocausation." Perry in turn "use[s] Hays’ comments to illustrate some mistakes people (particularly Calvinists like Hays) make when thinking about free will and determinism." I think following this dialogue will prove useful for anyone interested in the philosophical objections to Calvinism. Not hard to discern which side wins the confrontation in my book, but then, my membership in a particular faith community probably makes that clear on its own.
As background, I also recommend Perry's articles on "Simplicity, Virtue, and the Problem of Evil" Part 1 and Part 2 and Steve's articles on "Is God the Author of Sin?" Part 1 and Part 2. Several of the points Perry raises also got covered to some or another extent in my recent series on Zubiri (which isn't done yet, BTW).
