Human Freedom, Divine Knowledge, and Mere Molinism Study Guide

By Timothy A. Stratton and Timothy Fox

This study guide will help everyone from laypersons to theology students navigate Human Freedom, Divine Knowledge, and Mere Molinism, by Timothy A. Stratton. Timothy Fox walks readers through each chapter, identifying key terms and asking pertinent questions. Stratton adds multiple "Going Deeper" sections to clarify and expand his case. This companion is a vital resource for the aspiring theologian.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Release date: Dec 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781666717884

Timothy A. Stratton

Timothy A. Stratton (PhD, North-West University) is a professor at Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary. As a former youth pastor, he is devoted to answering questions he first encountered from inquisitive teens in his church. Stratton is the founder of FreeThinkingMinistries.com, a web-based apologetics ministry providing supplementary materials to this edition of Mere Molinism. Stratton speaks on church and college campuses around the country and offers regular videos on FreeThinking Ministries’ YouTube channel.

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Preface

When writing Human Freedom, Divine Knowledge, and Mere Molinism,¹ my goals were threefold. First and foremost, I had to convince my supervisor and doctoral committee (theologians at a Reformed university) that Molinism was compatible with Reformed theology. That is to say, I wanted to pass and earn a PhD in theology, and so I did exactly what they asked of me. Second, I desired to provide a resource on Molinism that would be understandable to the layman who takes theology seriously. Finally, as a theologian who makes no claims to be an expert in philosophy, I hoped to write a theology book with philosophical elements that would serve as a practical and pastoral resource. My intent was to reconcile theological issues within the church and demonstrate the practical application of Molinism when applied to theological issues and apologetics while supporting each of those theological points with philosophical arguments.

Quite honestly, I have been surprised by the overwhelming positive response. Of course, the book has a few detractors, but by and large, the book has received extremely positive remarks, and I’ve received much encouragement from everyone, from individuals who have never heard of Luis de Molina to well-known academics who are experts in the relevant fields.

Dr. William Lane Craig offered substantive encouragement. I’ve discussed the freethinking argument with Dr. Craig on multiple occasions. Indeed, I often quote his words regarding a sense of vertigo setting in when a determinist realizes he/she has no ability to think otherwise about determinism (or anything else).² Thus, according to Dr. Craig, if determinism is true, the determinist cannot rationally affirm that determinism is true. This encapsulates the essence of the freethinking argument.

Dr. Craig first heard me present a paper providing much of the content of my final chapter (not all of it) in Denver during the EPS conference in 2019. As soon as I finished, he immediately came to the front of the room and said, Tim, you are living my dream! It’s always been my dream to have someone take my work, expand upon it, make it their own, and run with it. This seems to be exactly what you are doing. Since most of these arguments are part of Dr. Craig’s cumulative case, his endorsement of the final chapter filled my heart with joy, and his stamp of approval was included on the back cover of my book. I was honored to have such an endorsement from someone God used to start this theological journey in my life.

While pursuing my MA degree at Biola University, Dr. Clay Jones—the epitome of a man after God’s own heart—was affectionately referred to by his students as Dr. Evil. This is because Dr. Jones taught the class about why a perfectly good and maximally great being—God—allows evil, pain, and terrible suffering in the world. We spent much time studying how otherwise good and ordinary men became Nazis who murdered millions of Jews. Indeed, this serves as a historical reminder of how vital it is to know the law of Christ (reality) and to constantly take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Cor 10:5). Jones also helped me see how Molinism can answer the so-called problem of evil. Indeed, it was in his classroom where I started to connect many dots regarding the apologetic significance of Molinism (which is also the title of the final chapter in my book).

Ultimately, my desire when writing Mere Molinism was to influence Christians at ground level. Although I had to persuade PhD theologians, my target audience was the church at large. I hoped to provide pastors and laymen with a resource explaining Molinism and demonstrating why one should be a Molinist. With that in mind, this study guide should help. 

Timothy Fox and I have gone through each chapter of Mere Molinism and highlighted what you need to know and what main takeaways you should remember. Moreover, this is more than a mere study guide, as I have included a Going Deeper section in most of the chapters. These Going Deeper sections can be skipped by beginners, but for those who have experience in philosophy or theology, these additions will provide clarity and advance the arguments for Mere Molinism, making this study guide an essential book to own for anyone who takes their theology seriously. 

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