Election, regeneration and faith

The fifth lecture turns more explicitly toward systematic theological formulation. Williams’s primary questions here include the paradox of man’s freedom and God’s call, and the question of God’s justice and mercy in the decision to elect some but not all. In keeping with much of Williams series thus far, however, he is quick to re-emphasize the provisional nature of our conclusions this side of the eschaton. His model theologian here is Charles Simeon, who Williams believes would have centralized paradox in his theology rather than relieved it, had he developed it further.

Biography

Stephen Williams (PhD, Yale University) is professor of Systematic Theology at Union Theological College. He was born and received his early education in Wales. He holds MA degrees in Modern History from Oxford University and Theology from Cambridge University and, after a year studying Practical Theology in Aberystwyth, Wales, he was elected Henry Fellow at Yale University (1976-7). He subsequently pursued doctoral studies at the Department of Religious Studies, Yale University. From 1991 until 1994, he was based in Oxford at the Whitefield Institute for theological research, during which time he also tutored in Philosophy of Religion for Oxford University, from where he took up his present position in 1994. Stephen Williams has published in different areas in biblical studies, theology and intellectual history, including Revelation and Reconciliation: a window on modernity (Cambridge University Press, 1995) and a volume on Nietzsche, The Shadow of the Antichrist: Nietzsche’s Critique of Christianity (Baker Academic Press, 2006)