Free will and predestination in Paradise Lost •Milton's vindication of God •Milton dismantles the Calvinist doctrine of divine pre-destination •Free will and predestination in Paradise Lost → each creature is morally responsible for its course of action. •Love for each other and the love of consciousness itself. In the introductory verses of Paradise Lost, Milton announces the theme of his epic poem, which is to, “assert eternal providence, / and justify the ways of God to men” (Milton, Paradise LostI.25–26). This announcement defines two key conditions of Paradise Lost: First, it presupposes that there is an almighty and morally just God. However, God’s justice and goodness are not self-evident and need to be explained. The transition of the account in the Paradise Lost from Book 2 to Book 3, marks the end of the satanic theologian’s dominations, and at this juncture God takes the centre stage. God is depicted as a theologian, Unlike the Satan’s speeches which are an epitome of sensuality and deception, God speaks plainly, precisely, coherently and with dignified authority. According to Milton, God is the superior theologian, and nobody is in a position to describe God than God Himself. In Book 3, God’s own theologies undermines satanic theologies on the poems as recorded in the first two books. In particular, opponent theologians portrays God as a dictator who denies its creatures freedom, notwithstanding, God contends that he has created humanity to be free, and He will never interfere with their independence of this freedom. Moreover, despite the opponent theologians portraying God as loveless and merciless, God on the other hand responds by affirming His universal goodness and grace.
