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Open Theism

Home >> Foreknowledge of God >>

Topics in this Category
 Book Reviews & Critiques (10 links)
 ETS and Open Theism (10 links)
 Gary E. Gilley (4 links)
 Jeff Spry (9 links)
 John Piper (13 links)
 


Open Theism is the logical conclusion of consistent Arminianism, but takes their logic one step further than Classic Arminians would. It affirms that since man has a libertarian free will, God cannot know the future. If God knew the future, he would also know the certainty of our future choices, that could not be otherwise. Given this premise, the open theist argues that we cannot chose differently than what God foresaw so we couldn't have free will. Therefore God makes highly educated guesses as events transpire. In the end, God is controlled by His creation (time).

The Open theist affirms that God cannot exhaustively know future events for if God had known from all eternity everything someone will do in the future, then the fact that they will choose the thing has been settled in God's mind, and cannot be otherwise. Hence, the person has no more power to alter the fixed-past-settled-with-certainty fact of what they shall choose to do than they have to altar any past fact. Therefore, they reason, that they cannot make free (or morally responsible) choices that God knows with certainty they will make. The Open theist views the possibility to choose otherwise as the sin qua non of moral responsibility. therefore God must only know my future choice as a possibility, not a settled reality.

Greg Boyd, one of the main proponents of OT, claims that he unequivocally affirms that God possesses every divine perfection, including the attribute of omniscience, that God perfectly knows everything THERE IS to know. Open Theists affirm that the future is open to various possibilities and that this is outside the scope of knowledge since it has not happened yet. What may or may not happen in the future, according to Boyd, has no truth value. Of course this would mean that God would be confined within time itself (something He created).

thus, the proponents of Open Theism erroneously deduce that time (God's creation) exerts a superior power over His ability to know anything outside the present, by confining Him to the present ... within the finite creation. By this view, the proponents of Open Theism deny the unlimited power of God to know the beginning from the end and, by default, declare that there is something greater than God himself (time).

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. - Isaiah 46:9

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Title Notes
Historical Contingencies and Biblical Predictions (.pdf) Dr. Richard L. Pratt, Jr.icon
Does the Bible Affirm Open Theism? John Frameicon
Prayer and the Power of Contrary Choice:Who Can and Cannot Pray for God to Save the Lost? (.pdf) C. Samuel Storms, Reformation & Revival 12.2 (Spring 2003): 53-67icon
Open Theism - Part 3 Sam Stormsicon
Open Theism - Part 2 Sam Stormsicon
Open Theism - Part 1 Sam Stormsicon
Open Theism and Divine Foreknowledge John Frameicon
Their God Is Too Small: Open Theism and the Undermining of Confidence in God Bruce A. Wareicon
Open Theism www.OnDoctrine.com - Quotes, articles, essays and booksicon
Has God been held Hostage by Philosophy? Roger Olson, Douglas F. Kelly, Timothy George, and Alister E. McGrath (Christianity Today, 2001)icon
Most Moved Mediator K. Scott Oliphinticon
Sovereignty, Suffering and Open Theism Thomas R. Schreiner (pdf)icon
My God and Their God Thomas R. Schreiner (pdf) - An unpublished article on Open Theismicon
Open Theism Matthew J. Slick (CARM.org) - Theology and Scriptureicon
The Openness of God Controversy J. Ligon Duncan, III - An Edited Transcription of a Seminar presented at the Philadelphia Conferences on Reformation Theology (2001)icon
The Mode of Divine Knowledge in Reformation Arminianism and Open Theism Steven M. Studebaker - Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (Sep 2004)icon
Some Practical Consequences of Openness Theology Eric Lasch (pdf) - National Association of Nouthetic Counselorsicon
Some Biblical Arguments Used by Openness Theology John A. Battle (pdf) - Western Reformed Seminary Journalicon
Does God Plan the Future? God's Omniscience Revealed in the OT Covenants Christopher K. Lensch (pdf) - Western Reformed Seminary Journalicon
Open Theism: Its Nature, History, and Limitations Dennis W. Jowers (pdf) - Western Reformed Seminary Journalicon
What is "Openness of God" Theology? Pilgrim Covenant - A side-by-side comparison (chart) of the Biblical/Reformed View verses Openness Viewicon
A Critique of Free-Will Theism - Part 1 Robert A. Pyne and Stephen R. Spencer (pdf) - A Christ-centered and cross-centered evaluation of open theism.icon
A Critique of Free-Will Theism - Part 2 Robert A. Pyne and Stephen R. Spencer (pdf) - Examines the theological implications of open theism, particularly inclusivism and postmortem conversion.icon
What God Knows Timothy George icon
God of the Impossible: A Personal Reflection on God’s Providence Over My Open Theism David Schrock icon
Is Divine Foreknowledge Like A Box Of Chocolates? (.pdf) Clayton Diltzicon
Gregory Boyd’s Infinitely Intelligent Chess Player G. Richard Fisher - The Remaking of God Into Man’s Imageicon
The Open View of God: Does He Change? (.pdf) Dr. Mike Stallardicon
The Openness of God and the Historical Jesus Samuel Lamerson, page 27icon
“The Openness of God Controversy” Western Reformed Seminary Journalicon
Closing the Door on Open Theism Martyn McGeownicon
The Hermeneutics Of Open Theism Robert L. Thomasicon
Is There Knowledge In The Most High? Larry D. Pettegrewicon
Open Theism's Attack on the Atonement John F. MacArthuricon
Isaiah 40-48: A Sermonic Challenge To Open Theism Trevor Craigenicon
The Openness Of God: Does Prayer Change God? William D. Barrickicon
Uncertain Hands of God and Men Bruce Ware (Video, Audio, PDFs)icon
Was Jesus an Open Theist? A Brief Examination of Greg Boyd’s Exegesis of Jesus’ Prayer in Gethsemane (.pdf) Charles L. Quarlesicon
An Early Response to Open Theism: Edward Taylor's Gods Determinations, and the Puritan View of History (.pdf) Stephen J. Nichols, Reformation & Revival 12.2 (Spring 2003): 111-129.icon
The Openness Of God: A Critical Assessment (.pdf) Stephen J. Wellum, Reformation & Revival 10.3 (Summer 2001): 137-160icon
Uncertain Hands of God and Men: Providence in Process Thought and Open Theism Bruce Wareicon
God's Foreknowledge and Free-Will Stephen Charnockicon
Does God 'Change His Mind?' Robert B. Chisholm (pdf)icon
The False God & Gospel of Moral Government Theology E. Calvin Beisner - Orthodoxy and the "Power of Contrary Choice" (Libertarian Freewill)icon
Isaiah 40-48 and Open Theism Grace Fellowshipicon
Open Theism and Divine Immorality Jeremy Pierceicon
How to Teach Open Theism at Vacation Bible School (.pdf) Russell D. Mooreicon
Making God in the Image of Man (Opem Theism) Paul W. Martinicon
Open Theism Ron Nash - Interviewicon
Do Humans have more freedom than God? J.W. Hendryxicon
Pastoral Implications of Open Theism Tom Ascolicon
The Rabbis and the Claims of Openness Advocates Russell Fuller (Excerpt from Beyond the Bounds)icon
An Examination Of Open Theism Gregg Cantelmo B.A.; MDivicon
Greek Philosophical Roots of Open Theism Jeremy Pierceicon
"Open Theism" is Incompatible with Inerrancy Roger Nicoleicon
The Open-ness of God John M. Brentnallicon
What are the Basic Tenets of Open Theism Matt Slickicon
Open Theism and Libertarian Free Will Matt Slick - Good contrast of Libertarianism (and its connection to Open Theism) and Compatibilismicon
Select Bibliography on Open Theism Justin Tayloricon
Does God Know the Future? An Overview of the Open Theism Debate Mark Rathelicon
Is Open Theism Consistent with Biblical Christianity? Mark Rathelicon
Pagan Philosophy’s Influence on Open Theism Mark Rathelicon
The Openness of God Rejected by the ETS Russell D. Mooreicon
Foreknowledge Debate Clouded by "Political Agenda" David Neff - Evangelical Theologians differ over excluding Open Theists (Christianity Today, 2001)icon
Does God Make Mistakes? John Piper - A Response to Greg Boyd's Treatment of Jeremiah 3:6-7, 19-20icon
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Recommended Reading

No Other God: A Response to Open Theism
John Frame


God's Greater Glory
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