I wrote several articles a few months ago about the problem of fatalism in theology, specifically how the concepts of divine foreknowledge and human freedom were not in fact contradictory. I then examined the arguments for Open Theism, and concluded it was untenable.

Consequently God has foreknowledge in some way or another. I want to explore this a little further now, particularly the concept of divine middle knowledge, based on the discussion of this issue by William Lane Craig in The Only Wise God.

There are a wide range of views of divine foreknowledge within Christianity including the following:

• Open Theism: The view that God has limited knowledge regarding the future as it is open. God can settle those parts of the future that he wants to, but the rest is open and not known to God other than as a series of possibilities.


• Simple Foreknowledge: The view that God knows everything that will happen, not because he chose which future to bring about (as Middle Knowledge), and neither because he pre-ordained it (Calvinism). God knows everything that will happen simply because it will happen.


• Middle Knowledge: The view that God knows everything that will come to pass, and also knows what would have happened if he had created any other possible world as well. He created this world because he foresaw that this world would achieve his goals better than any other possible world.


• Calvinism: The view that God knows everything that will come to pass because he pre-ordained it to happen.

In a series of posts over the next while I intend to explain and defend the middle knowledge view, and walk through the ramifications of it.

Posted by Dave Bryant at 9:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)