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Open theism: does God risk or hope?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2006

JAMES D. RISSLER
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, 100 Malloy Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556

Abstract

Open theists have generally affirmed that God exercises general sovereignty, seeking to achieve an overall providential goal related to our freely choosing to love Him, though the path to that goal is uncertain. This understanding of God's relationship to the world has the implication that God risks failure in achieving His purpose, since His success ultimately depends upon our free choices. In this paper, I first outline some concerns about the risks involved in God's exercising general sovereignty, and then explain how an alternative ‘hopeful’ view alleviates these concerns. I conclude that the hopeful view is a promising alternative that deserves further exploration.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2006 Cambridge University Press

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