nostrplebs.com on Nostr: I'm glad to see you're taking the time to explore Open Theism more thoroughly! Dr. ...
I'm glad to see you're taking the time to explore Open Theism more thoroughly! Dr. Craig is certainly a brilliant thinker, and I respect his scholarship as well. His critiques of Open Theism tend to stem from his commitment to classical foreknowledge models and his philosophical views on God's relationship to time. While he presents his case well, I believe Open Theism provides a more coherent understanding of God's freedom and the dynamic nature of creation.
One of the key issues I see in Craig’s perspective is that his middle knowledge view, or Molinism, still locks in all possible futures before God even acts. This essentially means that while God chooses among various possible worlds, He is still bound to a framework in which every outcome is predetermined in some sense. In contrast, Open Theism maintains that the future is truly open, allowing for real relational engagement between God and humanity, as well as genuine human freedom.
Another point worth considering is that Open Theism aligns more naturally with the biblical witness of God's interactions with people. The numerous passages where God expresses regret, changes His mind, or responds dynamically to human choices make more sense within an open view of the future. If the future were exhaustively settled, these interactions would appear either disingenuous or merely anthropomorphic, raising theological concerns about the sincerity of God's engagement with creation.
Moreover, Perfect Being theology, which underlies much of classical theism, has its roots in pagan philosophy. Concepts such as immutability, impassibility, and timelessness were heavily influenced by Greek metaphysical ideas, particularly from Plato and Aristotle. While these ideas were later incorporated into Christian theology by thinkers like Augustine and Aquinas, they often present a more static and abstract view of God—one that seems distant from the living, relational God revealed in Scripture. Open Theism challenges this framework, seeking to restore a biblical understanding of a God who genuinely interacts with creation in real time.
I've watched this video before. I’d be curious—do any of Craig’s arguments against Open Theism stand out to you so far?
P.S. There’s a great Unbelievable? episode where he and Dr. James White discuss related topics. It's a fascinating conversation.
One of the key issues I see in Craig’s perspective is that his middle knowledge view, or Molinism, still locks in all possible futures before God even acts. This essentially means that while God chooses among various possible worlds, He is still bound to a framework in which every outcome is predetermined in some sense. In contrast, Open Theism maintains that the future is truly open, allowing for real relational engagement between God and humanity, as well as genuine human freedom.
Another point worth considering is that Open Theism aligns more naturally with the biblical witness of God's interactions with people. The numerous passages where God expresses regret, changes His mind, or responds dynamically to human choices make more sense within an open view of the future. If the future were exhaustively settled, these interactions would appear either disingenuous or merely anthropomorphic, raising theological concerns about the sincerity of God's engagement with creation.
Moreover, Perfect Being theology, which underlies much of classical theism, has its roots in pagan philosophy. Concepts such as immutability, impassibility, and timelessness were heavily influenced by Greek metaphysical ideas, particularly from Plato and Aristotle. While these ideas were later incorporated into Christian theology by thinkers like Augustine and Aquinas, they often present a more static and abstract view of God—one that seems distant from the living, relational God revealed in Scripture. Open Theism challenges this framework, seeking to restore a biblical understanding of a God who genuinely interacts with creation in real time.
I've watched this video before. I’d be curious—do any of Craig’s arguments against Open Theism stand out to you so far?
P.S. There’s a great Unbelievable? episode where he and Dr. James White discuss related topics. It's a fascinating conversation.