Hackett Publishing

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This compilation of writings from Erasmus and Luther’s great debate—over free will and grace, and their respective efficacy for salvation—offers a fuller representation of the disputants’ main arguments than has ever been available in a single volume in English. Included are key, corresponding selections from not only Erasmus’ conciliatory A Discussion or Discourse concerning Free Will and Luther’s forceful and fully argued rebuttal, but—with the battle now joined—from Erasmus’ own forceful and fully argued rebuttal of Luther. Students of Reformation theology, Christian humanism, and sixteenth-century rhetoric will find here the key to a wider appreciation of one of early modern Christianity’s most illuminating and disputed controversies.

“Among the most dramatic exchanges in Western intellectual history was the confrontation between Erasmus and Luther over freedom of the will—or, as Luther conceived of it, bound choice. Clarence H. Miller provides extensive selections from both sides of this vital debate—from Erasmus’ A Discussion or Discourse concerning Free Will; from Luther’s reply, The Enslaved Will; and from Erasmus’ extensive rebuttal, The Shield-Bearer Defending ‘A Discussion’—outfitting them with helpful notes that bring readers into the world of the texts.
    “James D. Tracy’s Introduction masterfully and concisely depicts the two participants in this literary disputation, the concerns that governed their thinking, and the intellectual context of their debate—one that still offers much to readers reflecting on what it means to be human in our own age.”
     —Robert A. Kolb, Missions Professor of 
Systematic Theology Emeritus, Concordia Seminary


Clarence H. Miller is Professor Emeritus of English, St. Louis University.

Peter Macardle is Lecturer in German in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Durham University.

James D. Tracy is Professor Emeritus of History, University of Minnesota.