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Molinism: Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom

An exploration of God's middle knowledge and its intricate relationship with divine providence and creaturely choice.

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God's Types of Knowledge

Natural Knowledge

This encompasses all necessary truths, independent of God's will. It includes the full range of logical possibilities, such as statements of logic (e.g., "A cannot be both A and not-A") and the fundamental laws of existence.

Middle Knowledge

This is the core of Molinism. It is God's knowledge of what free creatures would do in any possible circumstance. These are contingent truths that are not caused by God's will but are known by Him. For example, God knows that if a specific person were placed in a particular situation, they would freely choose a certain action.

Free Knowledge

This comprises the contingent truths that are dependent on God's will and actions. It includes what God actively chooses to bring about, such as the creation of the world and the specific events that occur within it. This knowledge encompasses the future as God has decreed it.

Knowledge of Counterfactuals

The Nature of Counterfactuals

A counterfactual statement is of the form: "If it were the case that P, then it would be the case that Q." Molinism posits that God possesses knowledge of these conditional truths, particularly concerning the free actions of creatures, even if those conditions are never actualized.

A classic example illustrates this: "If John Laing were given the opportunity to write an article on middle knowledge for the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, he would freely choose to do so." Molinists argue God knows this truth, even if John Laing never actually writes that article.

Logical Order of Divine Knowledge

Molinists propose a specific logical sequence for God's knowledge:

  1. God's Natural Knowledge (necessary truths).
  2. God's Middle Knowledge (counterfactuals of creaturely freedom).
  3. God's Decree of Creation (actualizing a world based on His middle knowledge).
  4. God's Free Knowledge (the actual state of affairs).

This order is crucial to maintain both divine sovereignty and libertarian human freedom.

Theological Implications

Providence and Salvation

Molinism offers a framework for understanding divine providence and salvation. God, using His middle knowledge, can actualize a world where He knows individuals will freely respond to His grace and choose salvation. This preserves God's foreknowledge and sovereign plan without negating human free will.

Molinism vs. Calvinism & Arminianism

Molinism seeks a middle ground. Unlike Calvinism's unconditional election, Molinism posits election based on God's foreknowledge of who would freely choose Him (enabled by His grace). It differs from Arminianism by grounding this foreknowledge in God's middle knowledge of counterfactuals.

Timothy George summarized Molinism with the acronym ROSES:

  • Radical Depravity: Man's nature is fallen.
  • Overcoming Grace: God's grace overcomes depravity, but can be responded to.
  • Sovereign Election: God elects based on His middle knowledge of who would respond.
  • Eternal Life: Believers will persevere.
  • Singular Redemption: Christ's atonement is sufficient for all but applied only to the elect.

Historical Debate

Jesuits vs. Dominicans

Molinism emerged from a significant theological controversy in the late 16th and early 17th centuries within the Catholic Church. The Jesuits, advocating Molinism, clashed with the Dominicans, who upheld a Thomistic view of predestination and divine knowledge.

The dispute led to the establishment of the Congregatio de Auxiliis (Congregation of Grace) by Pope Clement VIII in 1597. After years of debate, Pope Paul V concluded the controversy in 1607 by forbidding either side from accusing the other of heresy, allowing both theological positions to coexist within Catholic doctrine.

Criticism

The Grounding Objection

A primary criticism, often considered the strongest, is the "grounding objection." Critics argue there is no sufficient metaphysical basis (truth-maker) for the truth of counterfactuals of creaturely freedom. As Hugh J. McCann noted, it's unclear how God could have justification for believing these propositions without observation, which might compromise divine omniscience or freedom.

Molinists like William Lane Craig and Alvin Plantinga respond by arguing that counterfactuals of freedom do not require actual existence to be true, and that the burden of proof lies with critics to demonstrate that such counterfactuals are inherently false or lack truth-makers. They contend that asserting the impossibility of knowing free choices apart from actualization limits divine omniscience.

Biblical Support

Scriptural Arguments

Molinists cite various biblical passages as evidence for God's middle knowledge. Key examples include:

  • Matthew 11:23: Jesus' statement about what would have happened in Sodom if mighty works had been done there, implying knowledge of counterfactuals.
  • 1 Samuel 23:8-14: David's knowledge that Saul would come to Keilah and that the men of Keilah would betray him.
  • Prophecies of evil acts: Passages where God foreknows and foretells sinful actions (e.g., Israelites forsaking God, Peter's denial) are interpreted by Molinists as involving knowledge of creaturely freedom.

William Lane Craig has extensively analyzed Christ's statements and Old Testament prophecies as indicative of middle knowledge.

Notes

Missing ISBNs

This article, as sourced, notes a lack of ISBNs for some listed books. This is a common issue with aggregated content and highlights the importance of verifying sources.

References

Scholarly Works

  • Perszyk, Kenneth J. Molinism: The Contemporary Debate. Oxford University Press, 2011.
  • Keathley, Kenneth. Salvation and Sovereignty: A Molinist Approach. B&H Publishing Group, 2010.
  • Stratton, Tim, and Jacobus Erasmus. "Mere Molinism: A Defense of Two Essential Pillars." Perichoresis, vol. 16, no. 2, 2018, pp. 17–29.
  • Stratton, Timothy. Human Freedom, Divine Knowledge, and Mere Molinism. Wipf and Stock, 2020.
  • Laing, John D. "Middle Knowledge." The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (IEP).
  • Seber, George A. F. Can We Believe It?: Evidence for Christianity. Wipf and Stock, 2016.
  • Craig, William Lane. Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom. E.J. Brill, 1991.
  • Craig, William Lane. The Only Wise God. Wipf and Stock, 1999.
  • Craig, William Lane. "Middle Knowledge, Truth-Makers, and the 'Grounding Objection'." Faith and Philosophy, vol. 18, no. 3, 2001, pp. 337–52.
  • Flint, Thomas. Divine Providence: The Molinist Account. Cornell University Press, 1998.
  • McCann, Hugh J., and Daniel M. Johnson. "Divine Providence." The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, edited by Edward N. Zalta, Spring 2017.
  • Boyd, Gregory A. "Neo-Molinism and the Infinite Intelligence of God." Philosophia Christi, vol. 5, no. 1, 2003, pp. 187–204.
  • Adams, Robert Merrihew. "Middle Knowledge and the Problem of Evil." American Philosophical Quarterly, vol. 14, no. 2, 1977, pp. 109–17.
  • Wierenga, Edward. "Providence, Middle Knowledge, and the Grounding Objection." Philosophia Christi, vol. 3, no. 2, 2001, pp. 447–457.
  • Plantinga, Alvin. "On Ockham's Way Out." Faith and Philosophy, vol. 3, no. 3, 1986, pp. 235–69.
  • Walls, Jerry L. "Is Molinism as Bad as Calvinism?" Faith and Philosophy, vol. 7, no. 1, 1990, pp. 85–98.
  • Perszyk, Ken. "Recent Work on Molinism." Philosophy Compass, vol. 8, no. 8, 2013, pp. 755–770.
  • Hasker, William. "Anti-Molinism is Undefeated!" Faith and Philosophy, vol. 17, no. 1, 2000, pp. 126–131.
  • Maitzen, Stephen. "Does Molinism explain the demographics of theism?" Religious Studies, vol. 44, no. 4, 2008, pp. 473–477.
  • Kvanvig, Jonathan L. "On Behalf of Maverick Molinism." Faith and Philosophy, vol. 19, no. 3, 2002, pp. 348–357.
  • MacGregor, Kirk. Luis de Molina: The Life and Theology of the Founder of Middle Knowledge. Zondervan, 2015.
  • Plantinga, Alvin. God, Freedom, and Evil. Eerdmans, 1974.
  • Tiessen, Terrance. Providence & Prayer: How Does God Work in the World? InterVarsity.
  • Craig, William Lane. "A Molinist Perspective on Biblical Inspiration." Question of the Week, Reasonable Faith, 9 May 2011.
  • Craig, William Lane. "Molinism vs. Calvinism." Question of the Week, Reasonable Faith, 19 Apr. 2010.
  • Craig, William Lane. "Molinism and Divine Election." Question of the Week, Reasonable Faith, 20 Oct. 2008.
  • Craig, William Lane. "Middle Knowledge and Christian Particularism." Christian Particularism, Reasonable Faith.

External Links

Further Exploration

  • Molinism from the Catholic Encyclopedia (opens in new tab)
  • Molinism by Alfred J. Freddoso (opens in new tab)
  • 'No Other Name': A Middle Knowledge Perspective on the Exclusivity of Salvation through Christ by William Lane Craig
  • Middle Knowledge from the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (opens in new tab)
  • Middle Knowledge, Truth-Makers, and the "Grounding Objection" by William Lane Craig

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References

References

  1.  Takashi Onuki Jesus In History And Today 2008 1905679092 p. 127 "Peter, who after saying “You are the Messiah,” began to rebuke Jesus. Jesus' rebuke, “Get behind me, Satan!” is connected with the vision ..."
  2.  Feddoso. "Molinism," in Edward Craig, ed., Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy (London: Routledge, 1998).
  3.  William Lane Craig. "The Middle Knowledge View." Divine Foreknowledge, Four Views. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001. 124.
  4.  Alvin Plantinga, "Reply to Robert Adams", in Alvin Plantinga, ed. James E. Tomberlin and Peter Van Inwagen, Profiles 5 (Dordrecht: D. Reidel, 1985), p. 378.
A full list of references for this article are available at the Molinism Wikipedia page

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