On Grace and Free Choice came early from the pen of the young abbot of Clairvaux, in response to the request of his friend William, benedictine abbot of St. Thierry. Bernard's first deliberately theological treatise, it demonstrates the conceptual precision, the contemplative insight, and the rhetorical delicacy of which he was capable.

The tension between God's grace and human free will has intrigued Christians throughout their long history, and it was receiving renewed attention in the early twelfth century. Bernard manifests both personal reflection and familiarity with theological tradition. Often accused of blind opposition to the rational analysis of faith, the saint shows himself here a master of scholarly theology