Fate or free will
It isn't just Christian theologians and philosophers who care about free will. Fate is one of the core elements of life, so it comes up in almost every religion or myth, with few exceptions. To Erasmus, this question was right at the center of living a Christian life. He feels that people should understand their souls as free. He believes that by accepting the freedom of human life, we can begin to accept responsibility for the negative aspects of our character.
Irresponsible theology
Erasmus is worried that Luther's theology will bring damage to people's lives because it might leave them with the illusion that they are not responsible for their actions, in the case that God is actively compelling them to do whatever they were already doing to do. He feels that whatever "fate" means, it should be held within the ultimate context that humans are responsible for their actions and decisions. He writes in this book that in his opinion, the Bible clearly indicates that not only are we free to do as we please, we are also being judged.
The judgment of God
So, if Erasmus believes that God is not responsible for all human fates, then what role does God's sovereignty have in the context of human judgment? He believes that God is continually judging human behavior, as if they are morally guilty of sin. Erasmus says that God is allowing our decisions to play themselves out, and in the process, he judges us for our decisions. This is where a Hindu theologian might notice similarities to Karma, since we are ultimately doomed by our own decisions in Erasmus's opinion.
