necessitas naturae

November 7, 2009

(Latin, “necessity of nature”)

The belief that the thoughts and/or actions of a person are born out of the necessity of his or her nature. People act according to who they are, they cannot act according to who they are not. People will choose according to their greatest desire and this desire is in accordance with their nature which they cannot change. This is a common belief among reformed Christians who believe that people are at enmity with God by nature and, therefore, cannot out of this nature produce even a desire to be reconciled to Him. This is often referred to as the “bondage of the will.”

Read a short reader on Martin Luther’s Bondage of the Will

Posted in Latin Terms, N