Potter's Freedom: A Defense of the Reformation and Reply Norman Geisler's Chosen But Free Book

The Potter's Freedom has an interesting history. In 1986 (updated in 1994) R.C. Sproul published a book titled "Chosen By God," which served (and still serves) as a great introduction to the doctrine of predestination at the popular level. In 1999 (2nd edition in 2001, 3rd edition in 2010) Norman Geisler responded to that book with his own work entitled "Chosen But Free." Geisler's work was touted as the definitive work on the relationship between divine election and human choice. However, the very next year, in 2000 (revised edition in 2009), James White responded to Norman Geisler's book with his own work, "The Potter's Freedom."

In the Potter's Freedom James White defends historic Calvinism over what Norman Geisler had called "Moderate Calvinism" (which in all actuality is a 4-point Arminian system) in "Chosen But Free." White shows throughout the The Potter's Freedom that Geisler has failed to do proper exegesis as well as failed to accurately represent historic Calvinist theology. This essentially means that Geisler's book is a straw man argument that only confuses rather than clarifies the debate.

While White can come across as harsh or a bit abrasive at times, his writing is easy to understand and his logic is hard to argue with. Absolutely no one can accuse him of being lazy in his research or exegesis. While compassion might be lacking toward Geisler, there's a part of me that understands White's criticism toward someone who is so well respected in other areas of Christian theology and apologetics but fails to represent accurately a system of theology that has such rich historic roots in the Christian faith and can be so adequately demonstrated as coming from Scripture. And it does seem to come out that White is genuinely arguing so deeply and with such fervor not because of some hidden agenda against Geisler but because of his passion for the church to know the truth of Scripture.

White's book has 26 endorsements from some of the sharpest theologians in the world, and they're all saying the same thing: this is the doctrine of the reformation! It was a definite blessing reading this book; and it has greatly helped define my understanding of reformed theology and its foundation in Scripture.