The Potter's Freedom: A Defense of the Reformation and a Rebuttal of Norman Geisler's Chosen But Free

by James R. White

What is Dr. Geisler warning the Christian community about in his book, Chosen But Free? A new cult? Secularism? False prophesy scenarios? No. Dr. Geisler is sounding the alarm about a system of beliefs commonly called "Calvinism." He insists that this belief system is "theologically inconsistent, philosophically insufficient, and morally repugnant." This book is written as a reply to Dr. Geisler, but is much more; it is a defense of the very principles upon which the Protestant Reformation was founded.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction, Religion, Faith, Reference

358 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2000

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

James White is the director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, a Christian apologetics organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a professor, having taught Greek, Systematic Theology, and various topics in the field of apologetics. He has authored or contributed to more than twenty four books, including The King James Only Controversy, The Forgotten Trinity, The Potter’s Freedom, and The God Who Justifies. He is an accomplished debater, having engaged in more than one-hundred forty moderated, public debates around the world with leading proponents of Roman Catholicism, Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormonism, as well as critics such as Bart Ehrman, John Dominic Crossan, Marcus Borg, and John Shelby Spong. In recent years James has debated in such locations as Sydney, Australia, as well as mosques in Toronto, London, and South Africa. He is an elder of the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church, has been married to Kelli for more than thirty two years, and has two children, and one grandchild, Clementine.

Reviews

[J. Rutherford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am tired of reading books that attempt to make me think big thoughts about myself and small thoughts about God; Norman Geisler's Chosen But Free was a textbook example of this kind of book. Fortunately, it produced this response;White's book is anything but a book that will leave you thinking big thoughts about yourself. White masterfully rips apart Geisler's quite terrible book, and in the process provides, as far as I have read so far, the best exegetical defense of the 5 points of Calvinism and the complete sovereignty of God over all creation that is available in one volume. If you have read Geisler's Chosen But Free or are planning on reading it, I would recommend picking this book up. Also, if you are simply wanting a book that exegetes the Scriptures in relation to the doctrines of God's sovereignty and predestination, you cannot go wrong with this book and will surely be driven to doxology by the glorious picture of God found within.

[Adam T. Calvert · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. White's examination and thorough refutation of Chosen But Free is simply fantastic. He breaks down the text, and thoroughly refutes all of the argumentation against the Reformed position. Dr. White has done some serious exegetical homework in The Potter's Freedom, as he wrestles with the tough texts, thoroughly documents objections and positions to the contrary, and systematically refutes such objections in a gracious, yet firm tone.

What I loved most about the book was it was as scholarly as it was accessible. Dr. White is not scared to run headstrong into his opponents court and challenge robustly, yet his defenses are firm, and his position his highly structured and tenable. He deals with exegetical issues, historical issues, philosophical issues, and more. Step by step, he sticks with Scripture alone, and exegetes the truth from the the Word, without philosophical presuppositions.

This was a fantastic read that is one of the best books for a thorough refutation of the Arminian position, which runs contrary to Scripture and Reformed doctrine. A must read.

Brent McCulley

[Charis · Rating 5 out of 5]

White's book was excellent throughout. His use of Scripture was prolific, and his argumentation generally sound. While he has been accused of arrogance, I only detected this a smattering of times. I appreciated the clear explanation of the Calvinist position; it is definitely the best I have read so far.

[Bryant Rudisill · Rating 3 out of 5]

What will jump out first from picking up this book is it seems the entire Reformed community has come together to pay its respects for the work Dr. White has undertaken. But what exactly is the burden Dr. White has taken upon himself in writing a rebuttal of Dr. Norman Geisler's Chosen But Free? The Potter's Freedom stands not only as a rebuttal of Dr. Geisler; nor as merely a defense of Reformed theology; but the very gospel itself. It is a call for a new section in our Theology Proper: the freedom of God. As an attribute of God that transcends the rest, the freedom of God, which was once assumed as altogether obvious, is now being attacked more than ever - even now by Christianity's greatest theologians.

Dr. White dismantles Dr. Geisler's line of reasoning step-by-step. By providing sound exegesis of the texts that support the Reformed view and that Dr. Geisler used against historic Calvinism, White sheds light on Geisler's presupposed philosophical bias that he continually reads into Holy Writ. Dr. White clears the misconceptions of historic Calvinism and posits a good defense for Calvin's holding to limited atonement.

Reading over the previous reviews, I saw a misunderstanding of Dr. Geisler's doctrinal views. Geisler is not Amyraldian by any means. Throughout his work he denies all the points of Calvinism (even the basis for historic Calvinism's holding to preservation of the saints).

Throughout The Potter's Freedom Dr. White points his readers back to the glory of God found in His redemptive purposes of a chosen people.
The Potter's Freedom is indeed a sharp critique, nearly along the lines of Luther, and it received a deserved sharp response from Dr. Geisler's second edition of Chosen But Free. All in all, Dr. White is exegetically sound, and certainly a good man for the job of defending the gospel us Reformers hold to so dearly.

[Travis Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

James White at his best. A necessary book for the library of any Reformed believer, and a must read for anyone who has any false notions of free will!

[joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Surely the strength of Reformed theology is its biblical basis, and the weakness of Arminian theology is its philosophical basis. The Reformed position begins with Scriptural truths. The Arminian position begins with philosophical necessities, and we have seen, over and over again, the result of forcing philosophical presuppositions into the text of Scripture.'

Either the Bible means what it says or it doesn't. Those are really your only two options.

Given that, it's stunning to think of how much frivolous & reinterpretative drivel has been written in the name of ostensibly explaining what the Scriptures really mean.

Old Earthers read the Bible through the lens of science rather than understand science through the authoritative statements of the Bible. Arminian theologians, as White points out, read the Bible through the lens of humanistic philosophy ("free will" and what-not) rather than allowing their philosophy to be dictated to them by the authoritative statements of the Bible.

And on and on it goes.

White does a superb job of showcasing how Geisler and those who think like him mangle the texts of Scripture in order to get them to say what they "know" has to be true. White's great work aside, it is frustrating that such a work should even be necessary. But, it is, nonetheless, and The Potter's Freedom is up to its task.

Eventually, I suppose, somebody somewhere will begin to argue that water is not wet, and someone brilliant will be forced to spend time & energy devising ways to refute what is plainly clear to everyone not viewing the issue with a previously established ideological or philosophical agenda. It would be a mistake, however, to conclude that the sad circumstance that gave rise to the necessity of The Potter's Freedom has not resulted in something that is beneficial for all who read it. There are few things as refreshing as spending time submerged in the glorious truth of the sovereignty of God as revealed in His Word.

Well done, Mr. White. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to get deep into this particular theological battleground.

[Simon Wartanian · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book. Firmly biblically with good exegesis, perfect!
The only bad thing is the poor presentations of Dr Geisler, his eisegesis and his ability to find free will even in passages like John 6:44 and Romans 9:16.

[Jesus Salgado · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I have read on defending Calvinism.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second time through this book, probably closer to a 3.5. I think Dr. White executed his thesis well, which was to dismantle Dr. Norman Geislers book Chosen but Free. Dr. Geisler’s book was so full of errors and misunderstandings it was hard to keep track. He really did not have even a simplistic understanding of Calvinism.

On the more negative side, Dr. White’s critique seems to come from a more modern pop Calvinistic understanding. The Reformed view of the magisterial reformers, was much more comprehensive, biblical, and well documented. And thus, I would hope to invite those who are interested in this conversation to interact with previous sources on the issue. Many modern anti-reformed movements (such as provisionism), thrives at critiquing a very simplistic and modern version of TULIPsian thought, but not so much with true reformational material.

[Dennis Beery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of the most devastating critiques of Arminianism I've ever read. James White's book, "The Potter's Freedom", is basically an examination of Norman Geisler's book, "Chosen But Free". In that book Geisler proclaims to be a "moderate Calvinist", while those who adhere to classical reformed theology are labeled as "extreme Calvinists". White points out the many ways in which Geisler's "moderate Calvinism" is actually just Arminianism by another name. White also makes clear how, in dealing with texts supportive of the Reformed doctrines of grace, Geisler actually performs extremely little exegesis of these texts, but instead resorts to bald assertions, straw man arguments and eisegesis. This book was a great review for me and I'm thankful for White's impressive defense of the biblical doctrines of grace.

[Christian Huls · Rating 1 out of 5]

James White holds to a deterministic form of Calvinism that is in contradiction with other Calvinists. In addition, most of his arguments are straw-man fallacies, or even subtle ad hominem arguments. He frequently failed to address the actual points made by Geisler, and argues for other matters, such as the sovereignty of God or Total Depravity, with the presupposition that both of these prove Calvinism, when Geisler AFFIRMS both.

[Brad Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

A landmark book for me.

[Todd Wilhelm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was instrumental in convincing me to embrace the Reformed doctrines. I am eternally indebted to Dr. James White for writing this. HIs detailed exegesis of key passages is irrefutable.

[Dr. David Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant refutation of Norman Geisler's book, "Chosen But Free."

[Grant Blackmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me love God more, and rejoice in the salvation that He has freely given me!

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting a typical Evangelical Christian to be interested in reading “The Potter’s Freedom” is an uphill battle because from the outset, in today’s climate, it has two strikes against it. First, it is Calvinist in orientation. And second, it is polemical in its subject matter. The book that it interacts with (“Chosen but Free”) is by a well-known and well-respected Christian (Norman Geisler), some of whose books I myself have on my own shelves. Even if “Chosen but Free” is not his best effort, perhaps the thing to do would have been, as one reviewer puts it, “to simply let Chosen But Free pass in an embarrassed silence, but in this book James White has assumed the role of a biblical friend to Dr. Geisler.” Indeed, there is no acrimony or disrespect here. It’s just that the issue is of such importance and Dr. Geisler has such influence, that a response is required.

The issue is the freedom of God, what Dr. White calls “the free and proper kingship of God,” the belief that “God truly can do as He pleases without getting permission from anyone, including man.” Specifically, in the matter of salvation, is God, referred to in Scripture as the Potter, free to have mercy on whom He will have mercy, or is His freedom subject to the autonomous free will of the creature, man? Who’s in charge when it comes to our eternal destiny?

Now if the question elicits something of a yawn because the whole debate seems somewhat arcane – a secondary issue that we don’t have the luxury of indulging in when there are bigger issues facing us – believe me, I understand, because I used to feel that way too. Election, I thought, was vaguely interesting because I perceived, vaguely, that the Bible taught it. But I was intent on focussing on the primary issue, the firestorm of the Reformation, and that, I thought, was the doctrine of justification by faith alone.

Well, I wasn’t wrong, exactly. But after reading the following from J.I. Packer and O.R. Johnston’s introduction to their translation of Martin Luther’s “The Bondage of the Will” (part of which is quoted by Dr. White in the book), I came to see that I was missing something important:

“The doctrine of justification by faith was important to them [the Reformers] because it safeguarded the principle of sovereign grace; but it actually expressed for them only one aspect of this principle, and that not to its deepest aspect. The sovereignty of grace found expression in their thinking at a profounder level still, in the doctrine of monergistic regeneration – the doctrine, that is, that the faith that receives Christ for justification is itself the free gift of a sovereign God….. To the Reformers, the crucial question was not simply, whether God justifies believers without works of the law. It was the broader question, whether sinners are wholly helpless in their sin, and whether God is to be thought of as saving them by free, unconditional, invincible grace, not only justifying them for Christ’s sake when they come to faith, but also raising them from the death of sin by His quickening Spirit in order to bring them to faith. …. [Thus] the principle of sola fide [justification by faith alone] is not rightly understood till it is seen as anchored in the broader principle of sola gratia.”

Sola gratia is theological shorthand for the Reformation slogan “justification is by grace alone, through faith alone, and because of Christ alone.” The issue then, and the issue now, is not the necessity of grace, but the sufficiency of grace. The heart of the Reformers’ theology was “centred upon the contention of Paul….that the sinner’s entire salvation is by free and sovereign grace only.”

Sola gratia points to the reality that there are only two religions in the world: divine accomplishment and human achievement. Christianity is absolutely unique because it proclaims divine accomplishment, which is another way of saying that it proclaims sola gratia, that salvation is one hundred percent of God, from start to finish. The Reformers regarded Rome as guilty of not only obscuring the gospel, but of creating an entirely different gospel, and crossing the line to the religion of “human achievement” because they taught (and still do teach) that God has created a system with which human beings must cooperate in order to be saved. God can’t do it on His own.

This is why later Reformed theology condemned Arminianism as being in principle a return to Rome because it in effect turned faith into a meritorious work. They saw it as a betrayal of the Reformation because it denied the sovereignty of God in saving sinners.

Let me hasten to add that I don’t believe that modern Arminianism is outside of biblical Christianity, but only because of a happy inconsistency in its thinking. The doctrine of substitutionary atonement is, I believe, a non-negotiable part of biblical Christianity. Classical Arminianism denied this doctrine, but, happily today most Arminians hold to it because there has been, according to Arminian theologian J. Kenneth Grider, “a spillover from Calvinism to Arminianism.”

Nevertheless, happy or not, it is an inconsistency, and serves only to confuse matters when the modern Arminian has one foot on either side of what was, at the time of the Reformation, the dividing line between what the Reformers argued was the monergistic, God-centered, divine accomplishment religion of biblical Christianity on the one side, and the synergistic, man-centered, human achievement religion of Rome (and all other religions for that matter) on the other side.

On the other side of the dividing line, grace may be necessary, but it is not sufficient to save anyone, for man’s “free will” is the determining factor. The creature is ultimately in charge of his own salvation. As Rome believes this too, the modern Arminian may well have greater sympathies with Catholicism than with Calvinism. This seems to be evidenced in the harsh words Dr. Geisler has for Calvinism (he refers to it as “morally repugnant” and involving “hideous error”). As far as I know, such strong language is entirely missing from his book on Roman Catholicism.

No wonder there is such confusion today over just what is the gospel, and what the big deal is regarding the Roman Catholic Church. The dividing line which once clearly distinguished Protestant and Catholic has now moved to within Protestantism itself. To quote once again from Packer and Johnston, “we are forced to ask whether Protestant Christendom has not tragically sold its birthright between Luther’s day and our own.”

The birthright they referred to was the recovery of the biblical reality that salvation must be by grace alone (sola gratia) or there is no salvation. Grace by definition must be freely given; as soon as one says that God must give grace to each person indiscriminately, or if one says that grace is necessary but not sufficient for salvation, then one is no longer talking about grace. And if one is no longer talking about grace, one is no longer talking about Christianity.

Thus to say that we are “saved by grace” is almost meaningless. Everybody believes that. The issue is whether grace is sufficient. For grace to be sufficient, salvation must be wholly of God. For salvation to be wholly of God, it must be monergistic. If it is monergistic, we must recognize the reality that we are dead in sin and utterly helpless and that God is absolutely free. We are saved by grace “alone.”

“The Potter’s Freedom” is a sorely needed corrective to the common ethos in Evangelicalism that regards salvation as synergistic, a cooperative effort in which both God and man are regarded almost on equal terms, each doing their part in order to make salvation a reality.

The issue is clear: does God actually save anyone, or does He just set up a system whereby we are saveable and the outcome is ultimately up to the autonomous creature? Is salvation monergistic or synergistic? If one will put aside presuppositions of supposed human “free will” and let the Scriptures speak for themselves, the answer to that question is not hard to determine.

The Potter is indeed free to make from the same lump, some vessels for honour, and some for dishonour. And those of us who know Him as Lord and Saviour are eternally grateful because we know firsthand the meaning of “sola gratia.” Without it, we would still be dead in trespasses and sins, unwilling, and indeed incapable of exercising saving faith in God.

R.C. Sproul, Jr. has some enlightening remarks in the foreword to this book: “It seems that while we are all born Pelagians, most of us are reborn as semi-Pelagians. That is, we come into the kingdom as Arminians. Dr. White will, God willing, help many progress to what Spurgeon said was but a nickname for biblical Christianity: Calvinism.”

[Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading if you are interested in or confused by the opposing claims of the two principal theological and interpretive views of salvation in Christianity today, namely Arminianism and Calvinism.

This book, authored by apologist, theologian, and writer Dr. James R. White, Director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, a Christian apologetics organisation, is a critique of and rebuttal to Dr. Norman Geisler's book 'Chosen but Free' and a defense of the spiritual truths that came out of the Protestant Reformation.

Now, I have not, nor have I plans to read Dr. Gsisler's book, as I have read many other such books over my years as a disciple of Jesus, so I am reasonably well informed of the various arguments and interpretations offered by those who oppose Calvinism or the Doctrines of Grace. Having said that, James White quotes Dr. Geisler's work extensively so one is able to get a significant degree of understanding of the principal points he makes in his treatise 'Chosen but Free.'

The style of writing and the logical and structured way in which Dr. White writes makes this book very accessible and readable to most, whether they have a formal theological and higher educational training - that's one of the things I like about this work, as with other published works of Dr. White's that I have read.

The single most important issue addressed, in its various guises as it impacts upon the condition of sinful mankind and the freedom of God to be God, is Dr. Geisler's redefinition of God's sovereignty. At each step of analysis of Geisler's hypothesis, White provides perspectives from historical theology, Biblical theology, and Biblical exegesis to challenge and refute Geisler's stated position.

I was introduced to the Doctrine of Grace shortly, maybe just weeks, after I was saved, in 1974, and have rejoiced in them ever since. I invite you to read this book and engage with the biblical truths dealt with by James R. White; you will not be disappointed!

A 5-star read!

[Christopher Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book I have recently read on the sovereignty of God in salvation and the 5 points of Calvinism. “The Potters Freedom: A Defense of the Reformation and a Rebuttal to Norman Geisler’s Chosen But Free.” This book was the best of the bunch. What was sorely lacking in Geisler’s book, careful exegesis of the relevant passages of Scripture, was omnipresent in White’s book. Very frankly, Geisler’s work did not stand up to the careful scrutiny of James White. In fact, after reading White’s book, I can confidently state that one would be better off skipping Geisler’s book and proceeding immediately to The Potter’s Freedom.

I appreciated White’s extensive, in context, quotations of Geisler’s work. Instead of setting up straw men like Geisler did in Chosen But Free, White carefully interacted with Geisler’s work in an honest and straightforward manner. White argued forcefully but fairly with Geisler while allowing the clarity of Scripture to shine through. White also pointed to many helpful resources in his footnotes. And these are resources that are now on my “to be read” list.

Given the deep theological content of this book one might have expected a dry, lifeless tome. Instead, what White delivered was an engaging and easy to read narrative that was driven ever forward by the power of inspired Scripture. Like the doctrines of grace, this book will cause you to worship an all-wise God—all while being amazed that you are part of His redemptive plan. That is some accomplishment. Happy reading!

[Alyosha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently I listened to a fella espouse his congruency with Geisler’s nonsense, so I had to read into the situation a bit more to make sure I understood him (and what I’d read of Geisler) properly. As I suspected, and James confirms, Geisler is just blank Arminianism thinly veiled in misused theological terms. Geisler refers to himself as a “moderate Calvinist”. Upon understanding what he actually taught/believed, not only is that laughable, but you realize he is really nothing short of an open theist.

[Aria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible. Also took me forever to read mostly because I procrastinated, but I recommend this to ANYONE confused about Calvinism vs Arminianism and especially to all Arminians. ;)

[Michael LeDuc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the exegesis provided!

[Jake Steffen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sin causes man to constantly seek to insert himself into the work of God in salvation, so every generation has to be reminded of their complete dependence upon Him and of His perfect freedom.”

[Nicholas Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered Dr. James White providentially. One evening in 2020 pastor Steven L. Anderson to my mind. Having lived in Arizona when Anderson was at the height of his fame (raining curses upon then-president Barak Obama & getting roughed up by police), from time to time I'll get the itch to see what he is up to these days. A simple Google search took me to a relatively new YouTube channel where Anderson posts his videos of his sermons these days. I assume that he has to start up a new channel every so often to stay ahead of the YouTube censors.

Whatever the reason, I was tooling around, watching different snippets from different sermons by Anderson when the algorithm suggested an interview Anderson did with Dr. James White about the King James Bible. This was my introduction to Dr. White and have been an avid consumer of his books, papers, and webcast. Thank God for Steven Anderson!

The first book I ever bought of Dr. White's was Scripture Alone (review available un My Books). I picked it up for 50 cents as a discarded library book. Potter's Freedom came with The God Who Justifies in the mail. Potter's Freedom is polemic, with Dr. Geisler as White's interlocutor. Specifically, White is responding to Geisler's book Chosen but Free. White's interaction with Geisler comes in the form of a defense of the doctrines of grace (the "Reformation" part of the subtitle) through careful exegetical work of texts Geisler references in his work. Geisler's work is rebutted with full-throated Calvinism by the pen of White.

This particular edition I believe is the first edition. Thus, there are spelling & grammar mistakes with footnote/endnote issues & errors. These aside, the book is very readable and engaging. I am sure subsequent editions corrected those minor errors in the text.

I make no profession of being a Calvinist. Indeed, there are still YouTube videos in the recesses of the internet which show a younger me railing against the unbiblical nature of limited atonement. Yet, I appreciate White's Reformed views and under the teaching of Dr. White I find myself leaning toward Geneva. His argumentation is hard to rebut. Don't take my word for it; just watch any of +100 debate opponents!

White's treatment of Romans 9 is worth the price of admission. He not only takes Geisler to task for his philosophically driven reading of Romans 9, White in turn then presents a positive exegesis of the text of Romans 9. He walks verse-by-verse through the text in order to show what Paul is saying without jumping past verses or introducing foreign contexts to the discussion. This is a hallmark of White's books.

One may disagree with White's conclusions. This is understandable. One may even dislike White's conclusions, or perhaps dislike White personally. Not a few people live in that last camp. However, my appeal to those who disagree or dislike the conclusions White draws from exegesis of the text is to answer the arguments. I confess that I struggle to find a consistent exegetical answer to the arguments White presents, which may explain why I lean toward Geneva. But that remains the challenge in the over two decades since White published this book: answer the arguments. Otherwise, our only recourse is to kowtow to the Potter's freedom.

Addendum: I gave away my copy of the first edition of this book to an Eastern Orthodox guy. He read it and said that Dr. White makes exegetical errors. I pressed him on this asking if he would give examples. None were forthcoming.

Since I gave away my only copy of this book (with all my underlines & notes!), I needed a new copy. So I purchased a copy of the revised edition. Pretty much the same book but with two appendices: one responding to Geisler's revision of his book, specifically an appendix "refuting" Dr. White, & another which address two key texts in the debate: 1 Timothy 4.10 & 2 Peter 2.1.

Still a solid book.

[kenzimone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written as a response to Dr. Norman Geisler's Chosen But Free, in which Dr. Geisler promotes the idea of "moderate Calvinism" (actually Arminianism) and warns about the dangers of "extreme Calvinism" (Reformed Faith/Calvinism) while devoting special attention to free will.

There's no need to have read Chosen But Free to follow along in The Potter's Freedom, as James White quotes from the relevant passages out of the former and allows the reader to easily settle into the context of the rebuttal. While The Potter's Freedom is written in the form of a reply to Geisler, it is also a coherent defense of all the pillars of the Reformed Faith, and White uses proper exegesis of Scripture to shoot down each of Geisler's assertions, one after the other (all excellently presented in layman’s terms, as is James White's custom).

Even if one cares nothing about Geisler or his book, The Potter's Freedom is useful to read simply because of the way it handles Geisler's criticisms of Calvinism and the Reformed Faith (most of which are pretty "mainstream" and popularly used by other non-Calvinists as well), especially when it comes to the subject of man's free will.

All in all, it's an amazing read and I very much recommend it.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A response to the Norman Geisler book, Chosen but Free. Both books are a little dated by this point, I haven’t actually read Geisler’s book, just one of his apologetics books back in High School. But I’d heard a lot about White’s book as a defense of TULIP and picked it up at a bookstore a couple of years ago and decided to read through it. While some of it can be read as a basic Calvinist defense against common objections to the doctrines of grace, I can’t say I’d recommend it to someone who wasn’t looking for a response to Geisler’s book. Books like RC Sproul’s What is Reformed Theology, Michael Horton’s Putting the Amazing Back into Grace, and others are readily available.

[Joel Warnock · Rating 3 out of 5]

When considering the author and the purpose of the book, I understand why it was written this way, but the abrasive and over confident nature of this book left a bad taste in my mouth. It definitely accomplished giving Chosen But Free a bare bottom spanking, but at what cost? Where is the space in this portrayal of Calvinism for not completely understanding a God whose ways are far above our own? Im not sure it is right to say Calvinism is the only consistently Biblical response to challenges made to the Christian faith, yet White says exactly that in the introduction and continues with this tone throughout. It is what it is.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book refutes man as the author of his own salvation, clearly showing forth God as The "Author and Finisher of our faith." God is either sovereign in all things, including (especially!) in salvation, or He is not a sovereign God at all. Dr. White explains God's role in saving sinners and His right to save whomever He so chooses. And unlike some other writers and debaters, White uses scripture to defend his points, not just what seems "fair" or make sense to the (infinite & depraved) human mind.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book refuting Norman Geisler's "Chosen But Free." The author makes the case that Geisler is presenting what is in effect classical Arminianism, yet for some reason referring to it as "moderate Calvinism" and to classical Calvinism as "extreme Calvinism." I wouldn't agree with the review on the back cover that says it's "charitably written," however--it gets quite confrontational at times, but his doesn't seem unreasonable in light of the fact that CBF does the same thing.

[Josue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely "one of the finest explanations of the doctrines of grace and the sovereignty of God," as Phil Johnson put it.

"The Potter's Freedom" was written as a rebuttal of Norman Geisler's "Chosen But Free," and so it exposes the errors of that book quite well. Yet "The Potter's Freedom" is a great resource as something like a "beginners guide" to the doctrines of grace.

It answered many questions that I had; it was very easy to read; I recommend it.

:-)