Category: Determinism/Compatibilism

There is supposed to be a coherence between philosophical theology and exegetical theology. While exegetical theology is the practice of discerning truths from the text of Scripture, philosophical theology is the practice of thinking about the doctrines that are established by the text of Scripture and forming a cohesive model. The philosophical theologian will conduct his work within the framework of exegetical theology. When the theologian argues for Limited Atonement based on the efficacy of the cross, he will in effect be conducting philosophical theology. When the theologian argues for…

It was not my fault. That is what people often say when they are confronted with a decision that they made. Perhaps a husband was so overcome with lust that he thinks he had no choice but to commit adultery. People often attempt to dodge responsibility for their actions, because if they are not in control, then they cannot be blamed. Some have argued that the doctrine of divine determinism provides a sufficient basis for avoiding any human responsibility. God has ordained everything that will come to pass, and there…

Individuals who follow this blog very closely (refreshing the pages every thirty seconds to see if there are any updates) will have noticed that I have added an addendum to a few pages. I thought that it would be prudent to notate when my views have evolved. The articles will remain available, but only for research purposes rather than as representative as my personal views. Among these posts are those articles that I have written about Molinism. Some may be pleased and others may be disappointed to learn that I…

Preface Because I have critiqued Dr. White before, there are a few personal remarks I would like to make up front regarding my previous interactions. On 12 May 2014, I published Philosophy Matters – James White Missing the Mark on Molinism. As I mentioned in the original post, I do like Dr. White. However, I realized that I didn’t consistently communicate that respect. For example, I made the comments I highly doubt that White has delved deeply enough into “man’s philosophy” to know what kind of theory of truth he…

How could God be both sovereign and actualize a libertarian anthropology? This is an old philosophical question that has stricken the minds of men for generations. Do we actually have free will, and if we do, how could we say that God has predestined everything? This has led some to sacrifice the predestinarian element to sustain mans’ freedom. Open theists argue that God does not even know the future because if he knew the future, man could not truly be free. Similarly, determinists argue that man is not truly free…

Scripture is replete with references to what is known as counterfactuals of creaturely freedom. These are descriptions of what creatures would do given other circumstances. Paul asserts, for example that “None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.” (1 Corinthians 2:8). If the rulers of this age possessed certain information, then they would not have crucified Jesus. God knows what these creatures would do given other particular circumstances. Similarly, when David was fleeing from Saul, he…

Positions are often defined by the men who defend them. Since Doctor William Lane Craig is the most prominent living defender of Molinism, people often think that he is representing every form of Molinism. However, that is something like thinking that Doctor Michael Brown (an Arminian Pentecostal brother) represents every nuance of Christian belief. While Doctor Craig may be our most robust defender of the general conception of Molinism, many Molinists would reject some of the corollaries that Doctor Craig represents. There are also men such as Kenneth Keathley, who…

Doctor James White is one of the most outspoken living biblical scholars. His polemics against the heresies and justification of nefarious behavior that have arisen in the church and his apologetics to various religions have proven to be a worthy and helpful resource. He has engaged in public debates with Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Roman Catholics, and composed books that engage with contemporary issues. I personally possess and have read five of his books. It is easy to understand how he has convoked the respect of Christians everywhere, especially those among…

There is a growing trend among Christians to deny philosophical reflection upon complicated issues. It is an unfortunate state of affairs in the evangelical church that many people are repelled by intellectual discourse. As a consequence of this, many Christians find themselves holding the position that either predestination is true, or free will is true. But it cannot be both. For how could we be free if God predestined everything to occur? Further, if God knows everything, how could it be the case that we have free will? For obviously,…