Grace, Free Will, and Human Nature

When the Renaissance dawned over Europe’s Dark Ages, half a millennium of intellectual thought, long unchallenged, found new opponents on all sides. Aided by the printing press, fresh ideas in science, art, and religion spread freely across the Western World, falling under the scrutiny of an ever-expanding population of the literate. With this widespread intellectual excitement came greater individualism, more celebration of human achievement, and stronger focus on the secular world—a major shift from the heaven-focused outlook of the Middle Ages, in which people felt they were little more than the feeble playthings of fate. But are human beings really capable of good? Are they able to change their destinies through their choices? Three significant Renaissance writers—Machiavelli, Erasmus, and Luther—each provide an answer to these essential questions of the day.

Among the three, Machiavelli takes a unique position, writing from a purely secular point of view. Throughout his book The Prince, he champions human ability, describing how a would-be conqueror can use his skills, talents, and cunning to gain and keep power. Since each chapter in the book focuses almost exclusively on strategies and qualities that aspiring princes should use and develop, it is obvious that Machiavelli believes that human will, used carefully, is powerful enough to conquer something as significant as an empire. In Machiavelli’s view, no higher power—whether it be fate or God—has complete control over who governs. His shrewd, analytical, and completely irreligious point of view was actually rather radical for his time, since many people still believed in the divine right of kings.

Machiavelli, however, does acknowledge that it would be naïve to assume th...

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...ple of Erasmus’ point is that of the toddler and apple, found on pages 569 and 570. The young boy is weak and unable to walk, but wants the apple his father shows him. Since his father knows the boy cannot get the apple himself, he supports his son and guides his steps, and, when the boy reaches the goal, the father places the apple willingly in his son’s hands. Although the young boy could not have obtained the apple without the help of his father, the toddler exercises his free will by desiring to have the apple, putting forth his weak but wholehearted effort as his father leads him along, and accepting the gift when it is finally given to him. According to Erasmus, we are weak like the boy, and unable to attain the prize of salvation without the help of God. We are, nevertheless, free to desire and accept the gift and not resist God when He tries to lead us along.