Page Range
59-78
Keywords
Middle knowledge, divine sovereignty, human freedom, John Schellenberg
Abstract
Within the spectrum of doubt, divine hiddenness becomes a problem regarding the love of God. Why would a loving God allow individuals whom he loves, if he loves everyone, to maintain ? According to philosopher John Schellenberg, the existence of rational nonbelief poses a problem for divine hiddenness which provides a reason to believe that God does not exist.
We argue that the problem of rational nonbelief does not pose a problem for divine hiddenness if one adopts the doctrine of middle knowledge, a belief first proposed by Spanish Jesuit Luis de Molina. We first offers a defense for the doctrine of middle knowledge, including a brief biblical defense, before arguing that a loving Anselmian God can coexist with a world where he permits reasonable nonbelief given his knowledge of how much evidence is necessary to bring a person to faith, and those for whom no amount of evidence would suffice.
Recommended Citation
Chilton, Brian G.. 2021. "Divine Hiddenness and Middle Knowledge: A Molinist Answer to How an Anselmian God Can Coexist with Reasonable Nonbelief." Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal 5, (2). https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/eleu/vol5/iss2/5
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Christianity Commons, Practical Theology Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons