The Future of Open Theism: From Antecedents to Opportunities

by Richard Rice

Publisher:

IVP Academic

, 2020

Overview

Open theism has reached its adolescence. How did it get here? And where does it go from here?

Since IVP’s publication of The Openness of God in 1994, evangelical theology has grappled with the alternative vision of the doctrine of God that open theism offers. Responding to critics who claim that it proposes a truncated version of God that fails to account for Scripture and denies many of the traditional attributes of God, open theism’s proponents contend that its view of God is not only biblically warranted but also more accurate—with a portrayal of God that emphasizes divine love for humanity and responsiveness to human free will. No matter what one’s assessment, open theism inarguably has made a significant impact on recent theological discourse.

Now, twenty-five years later, Richard Rice recounts in this volume the history of open theism from its antecedents and early developments to its more recent and varied expressions. He then considers different directions that open theism might continue to develop in relation to several primary doctrines of the Christian faith.

Key Features

• Recounts the history of open theism from its antecedents to its more recent and varied expressions
• Considers different directions that open theism might continue to develop in relation to several primary doctrines of the Christian faith
• Addresses criticisms of open theism

Contents

Part I: The Origins and Development of Open Theism

• Antecedents to Open Theism
• Early Formulations of Open Theism
• Critics and Conflicts
• Philosophical Discussions of Open Theism
• Varieties of Open Theism

Part II: Themes of Open Theism

• Does Open Theism Limit God?
• Open Theism and the Trinity
• Human Freedom and the Openness of God
• Christology and the Openness of God
• Open Theism and the Challenge of Church
• Open Theism and the Last Things

Top Highlights

“Open theism arises from the conviction that love defines the very nature of God. Love is not merely an attribute or an activity of God—something God has or does—it is what God is in his very essence. Love defines God’s inner reality, and love characterizes God’s relation to all that is not God. In sovereign freedom, God created the world as an expression of the love that God is, and love not only accounts for God’s decision to create a world distinct from himself, love also comes to expression in all of God’s relations to the world.” (Page 29)

“The dramatic interchange, the give-and-take, between God and humans that we find in the Bible strongly suggests that God experiences events as they happen. From God’s perspective, therefore, past and future are not the same. In other words, time is real for God.” (Pages 1–2)

“ God is disappointed, it isn’t because God did not make a wise decision; it’s because the creatures thwarted his plans.” (Page 57)

“God is unchanging, immutable, in his essence, but not in his experience, knowledge, and action.¹⁵” (Page 33)

“God is open to the world, and the world is open to God” (Page 1)

Praise for the Print Edition

Rice gives us a splendid overview of the history of open theism along with insightful responses to major criticisms. He does so with a gentle spirit that identifies areas of agreement between its critics and proponents. He carefully notes areas of difference among open theists on several topics. Lastly, he explores open theism in relation to topics such as the Trinity, the church, and eschatology. This is a clearly written guide to contemporary open theism.

—John Sanders, professor of religious studies, Hendrix College

Richard Rice’s book provides something lacking until now: a broad overview of the open theist movement that places it in its historical perspective. A partisan himself, Rice is consistently fair and accurate, both in setting out open theism and in discussing objections to the position and replies to them. His theological reflections provide one theologian's perspective on the broader implications of the position and constitute an invitation to others to develop their own open theist theologies beyond the rather narrow range of questions that have dominated most of the literature. This book is required reading for all who have been challenged by this dynamic theological movement.

—William Hasker, professor emeritus of philosophy at Huntington University, former editor of Faith and Philosophy

Richard Rice offers us a fantastic book on a subject he knows intimately: open theology. The book explores precursors to this contemporary movement while addressing open theism’s critics and explaining its varieties. Rice summarizes main ideas while breaking new ground to explain how the open view beautifully portrays doctrines central to Christianity. This book is now the ground floor for discussions of open theism in the present and future!

—Thomas Jay Oord, author of The Uncontrolling Love of God and God Can’t

Product Details

• Title: The Future of Open Theism: From Antecedents to Opportunities
• Author: Richard Rice
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2020
• Pages: 260
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Topic: Theology

About Richard Rice

T. Richard Rice (1944—) is a Seventh-day Adventist theologian and author. He is a leading proponent of “open theism”, a term he invented, which describes a controversial understanding of God. As of 2007 he is professor of theology and philosophy of religion at Loma Linda University in California.