The Protestant Reformation is largely accepted as beginning in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the Wittenburg Castle Church doors. This was the beginning of public questioning of the Catholic church in Europe, which, at the time, was the all-powerful church in all of Europe. There was no legal alternative for religious worship and those who were viewed as going against it's teachings were labeled as a heretic and possibly burned at the stake. While the nailing of the 95 theses could be labeled as a spark, what came after was a forest fire. Notable people began discussing religion and religious views, which began many sects that are still around today. Never before had so much debate been had, nor such a willing audience listened.
I believe that it is this context, the Protestant Reformation, that makes the Discourse on Free Will such an important and interesting work of literature. Since it was a time of confusion, people were asking questions and searching for answers that made sense based on what they knew as well as on what they hoped was true. Additionally, the church was one of, if not the, most important realm of an individual's life. Their whole lives revolved around worship.
So, what if the Discourse on Free Will were written today? I don't think it would make hardly a drop in the ocean and I definitely do not think that people would be reading it in another 500 years. There is so much information, so many books and so many articles being written today that something like this would probably be lost on the web. Perhaps a few people would click on a link talking about whether or not predestination is real or if we have free choice, but ultimately, I believe the following would be small and ultimately forgotten. Additionally, today we see an increasing secularism in our lives. Even for avid church-goers, people tend to separate their religious life with the rest of their lives (BYU and the culture we live in is quite unique). Therefore, I think that the context of the Discourse on Free Will is ultimately what makes the piece so important and relevant not only in the 1500's, but today.
I believe that it is this context, the Protestant Reformation, that makes the Discourse on Free Will such an important and interesting work of literature. Since it was a time of confusion, people were asking questions and searching for answers that made sense based on what they knew as well as on what they hoped was true. Additionally, the church was one of, if not the, most important realm of an individual's life. Their whole lives revolved around worship.
So, what if the Discourse on Free Will were written today? I don't think it would make hardly a drop in the ocean and I definitely do not think that people would be reading it in another 500 years. There is so much information, so many books and so many articles being written today that something like this would probably be lost on the web. Perhaps a few people would click on a link talking about whether or not predestination is real or if we have free choice, but ultimately, I believe the following would be small and ultimately forgotten. Additionally, today we see an increasing secularism in our lives. Even for avid church-goers, people tend to separate their religious life with the rest of their lives (BYU and the culture we live in is quite unique). Therefore, I think that the context of the Discourse on Free Will is ultimately what makes the piece so important and relevant not only in the 1500's, but today.
That's a very interesting point you make: this debate was made important by the fact that there wasn't much else debate going on. I have to say I'd never looked at it that way. I think the fact that the Renaissance emphasized critical thinking had people more in tune with what was being discussed in their time.
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