Overview
This lecture discusses whether human free will is compatible with God's foreknowledge, analyzing arguments for theological fatalism and the implications for contemporary theology.
Theological Fatalism and Free Will
- Theological fatalism argues that if God foreknows our actions, those actions are fated and happen necessarily.
- The fatalist argument: if God knows I will do X, then I must do X, so I lack freedom.
- This reasoning contains a logical fallacy in modal logic: necessity is incorrectly transferred to my actions.
- The correct implication is that I will do X, but not necessarily; I could do otherwise.
- If I were to refrain, God's foreknowledge would have been different, showing my capacity for freedom.
- God's knowing in advance does not eliminate my ability to choose otherwise.
Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom
- The compatibility of divine omniscience (God's all-knowing nature) and human free will has been the subject of philosophical analysis.
- The issue is not just theoretical but has practical and theological consequences within the church.
Open Theism Movement
- Open theism claims God's foreknowledge is incompatible with human freedom, so God does not know future free acts.
- Open theists believe God must gamble on the future and sometimes revise His plans.
- This view contradicts traditional teachings of divine foreknowledge and is causing division in evangelical theology.
- The debate impacts views on divine providence and God's infallibility.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Theological Fatalism — the belief that God's foreknowledge makes human actions necessary and unfree.
- Modal Logic — a type of logic dealing with necessity and possibility.
- Divine Omniscience — God's attribute of knowing everything, including future events.
- Open Theism — the belief that God does not have exhaustive knowledge of future free acts.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Reflect on the logical structure of arguments about free will and foreknowledge.
- Optional: Read "The Only Wise God" for a deeper analysis of this topic.