Divine Foreknowledge Four Views by James K Beilby

Divine Foreknowledge Four Views by James K Beilby

The question of the nature of God's foreknowledge and how that relates to human freedom has been pondered and debated by Christian theologians at least since the time of Augustine. And the issue will not go away.

More recently, the terms of the debate have shifted, and the issue has taken on new urgency with the theological proposal known as the openness of God. This view maintains that God's knowledge, while perfect, is limited regarding the future inasmuch as the future is "open" and not settled. This Spectrum Multiview volume provides a venue for well-known proponents of four distinct views of divine foreknowledge to present their cases:

• Gregory A. Boyd of Bethel College presents the open-theism view.
• David Hunt of Whittier College weighs in on the simple-foreknowledge view.
• William Lane Craig of Talbot School of Theology takes the middle-knowledge view.
• Paul Helm of Regent College, Vancouver, presents the Augustinian-Calvinist view.

All four respond to each of the other essayists, noting points of agreement and disagreement. Editors James K. Beilby and Paul R. Eddy introduce the contemporary debate and also offer a conclusion that helps you evaluate therelative strengths and weaknesses of each view. The result is a unique opportunity to grapple with the issues and arguments and frame your own understanding of this important debate.

Spectrum Multiview Books offer a range of viewpoints on contested topics within Christianity, giving contributors the opportunity to present their position and also respond to others in this dynamic publishing format.

Michael F. (Michael F.) Bird is a lecturer in theology at Melbourne's Ridley College. He formerly worked at Highland Theological College in Scotland and Crossway College in Australia. He's written a number of publications, including Jesus and the Origins of the Gentile Mission and The Saving Righteousness of God: Studies on Paul, Justification, and the New Perspective, as well as countless essays, articles, and reviews.