Begnadete Freiheit

What is freedom? Are humans free? And are God and human freedom compatible? These questions are raised by Anselm of Canterbury in his dialogues on freedom.
Katrin König interprets Anselm's theory of freedom in its theological and historical context and brings it into a dialogue with contemporary analytic theories of freedom. Thereby a qualitative concept of freedom as a gift towards the good is contributed: gifted freedom. According to this understanding, freedom is something greater than individual self-determination or choice between alternative possibilities. It is grounded in the perception of truth, unfolded in the love of justice and compatible with perfect determination by the action of God. In this horizon it is possible to discern the aporia of the modern debate on determinism and to reconcile seeming contradictions.
This work was awarded the Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise 2017.