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Friday, June 08, 2018

Thomistic classical theism

http://jbtsonline.org/review-of-all-that-is-in-god-evangelical-theology-and-the-challenge-of-classical-christian-theism-by-james-e-dolezal/

https://medium.com/@jaredoliphint/a-delayed-take-on-dolezals-all-that-is-in-god-a1e6dde1f8b9

5 comments:

  1. Mullins denies divine timelessness, and I think foreknowledge as well. I’d take him to be more of an enemy of orthodox theism than a Thomism.

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    Replies
    1. That's a valid consideration. But does that disprove his factual criticisms of Dolezal?

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    2. Quickly:

      1) Dolezal’s book isn’t for a scholarly audience. He has another book for that. He deals with a lot of the arguments Mullins throws up in the book.

      2) The complaint that the Classical view makes scriptures language about God “metaphorical” or “analogical” isn’t really a problem. Most theologians in Church history pointed out it is the way scripture speaks of God’s actions toward us. But let’s say the Calvinist accepts such a view, what reason do we have for taking one set of passages that teach divine embodiment, ignorance and a host of other things we won’t like over the passages that speak of power etc? well, I can tell you how we do it.... those passages aren’t literal! Which is the same thing the Classical theist does. So I see no problem with how they handle those passages, and it also defanga Goldingays turning YHWH into a provincial canannite High God rather well.

      3. I know that you mentioned you think it is a category mistake to claim that a bundle of abstract properties needs something outside of it to compose it, but I’m still trying to figure out why other than not liking Divine Simplicity. I think the modal collapse argument makes a modal fallacy, which is the best argument against classical metaphysics (IMO).

      I’d side with Dolezal over Mullins and his zeuslike deity anyday.

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    3. "zeuslike deity"? You've been hanging out with the wrong crowd. I mean, that sounds like something Steve Hays would say. :-)

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    4. There are two separate issues here:

      i) Mullins says Dolezal is uninformed. He gave examples and cited literature.

      ii) Mullins alternative sucks.

      But (ii) doesn't refute (i). Both (i) & (ii) can be true!

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