Concordia of the Free Will - 4, 5 & 3 (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798270301033)

Luis de Molina's Concordia of Free Will (Parts 4, 5, and 6)

Luis de Molina's Concordia liberi arbitrii, first published in 1588, remains a cornerstone of 16th-century theology and philosophy, emerging amid the intellectual vitality of Iberian scholasticism and the Catholic response to the Reformation. This monumental work addresses the challenge of reconciling human freedom with divine grace, foreknowledge, providence, predestination, and reprobation-sparking the famous De Auxiliis controversy within the Catholic Church.

This volume presents Parts 4, 5, and 6 of the Concordia, which explore Molina's mature reflections on divine knowledge, will, and providence.

Part 4: On Divine Foreknowledge examines how contingency-the possibility that something may or may not occur-can coexist with God's infallible knowledge of future events. Molina, following Thomas Aquinas yet diverging from some of his interpreters, affirms that all things existing in time are eternally present to God. However, he denies that divine foreknowledge arises merely from this eternal presence. Instead, he introduces his doctrine of scientia media (middle knowledge), according to which God knows, with certainty, what every free creature would choose under any possible set of circumstances. This knowledge precedes every act of the divine will, preserving both the certainty of divine foreknowledge and the freedom of created will.

Part 5: On the Will of God explores how divine volition relates to salvation and sin. Interpreting 1 Timothy 2-"God wills that all men be saved"-Molina distinguishes between God's antecedent (conditional) and consequent (absolute) wills. By His antecedent will, God sincerely desires the salvation of all, provided they do not resist His grace. By His consequent will, He decrees what accords with His justice, such as the punishment of sinners for their demerits. Molina maintains that not all conditionally willed goods are realized, but all absolutely willed outcomes are. He also insists that God is not the cause of sin: while He permits evil acts and concurs with their natural motion, their moral disorder proceeds solely from human free will acting against the divine law.

Part 6: On Divine Providence defines providence as the divine plan ordering all things toward their proper ends. Providence, rooted in God's practical intellect and completed by His will, encompasses everything-whether by ordaining good and its means or permitting evil and sin. Molina explains that providence imposes necessity on certain effects, such as natural phenomena, but not on those depending on free will. The certainty of providence does not stem from coercion but from God's perfect knowledge. Free acts remain avoidable, for God foresees them precisely as free. Thus, divine providence, while all-encompassing, fully respects the liberty of created beings.

This translation, crafted for clarity and fidelity, offers a concise presentation of Molina's synthesis of divine omniscience, will, and providence. Through his concept of scientia media, Molina sought to affirm that God's sovereignty and human freedom coexist in perfect harmony-an insight that continues to shape theological reflection today.