How did Jill Kraye explain the free will debate between Erasmus and Luther on In Our Time?

Jill Kraye says Luther held that without grace people have no moral ability, while Erasmus held that free will cooperates with grace. His image is a toddler whose father holds him up as he walks toward an apple. The child could not reach it alone, but his desire to get there plays some small part. As an educator, Erasmus feared that denying any human contribution would remove the motive to be virtuous.

• Eamon Duffy adds that Erasmus accepted predestination because it is in Paul, but thought it a mystery best left alone.

▸In their words

“it's really not the child's effort. He couldn't do it without the father.” Jill Kraye · at 40:40 — open in the transcript →

“If Luther is right, there's no Saint Socrates.” Eamon Duffy · at 42:01 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on In Our Time (2026-10-19). Read the whole episode summary →

▸More from this episode