A Reflection on Open Theism
There is currently a theological point of view known as “open theism” or “openness theology” going around certain parts of the Christian church. This has caused a lot of debate in the Body of Christ, and I must confess that I come down on the side of finding open theism incompatible with my own theological perspective. So, what is open theism? According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, it is the following: Open Theism is the thesis that, because God loves us and desires that we freely choose to reciprocate His love, He has made His knowledge of, and plans for, the future conditional upon our actions. Though omniscient, God does not know what we will freely do in the future. Though omnipotent, He has chosen to invite us to freely collaborate with Him in governing and developing His creation, thereby also allowing us the freedom to thwart His hopes for us. God desires that each of us freely enter into a loving and dynamic personal relationship with Him, and He has ...