Tag Archives: libertarian freedom

Universal Salvation: What are the odds?

Posted on 4 March 2019 by

There are different kinds and degrees of hope. There is the hope that tomorrow will be a bright and sunny day, given that the weatherman says there’s only a 5% chance of rain. We might call this an almost-certain hope. There … Continue reading →

Posted in Eschatology | Tagged , , , , , , | 41 Comments

The Absolute Freedom of the Simple Life

Posted on 2 October 2018 by

In the preceding article, “An Utterly Simple State of Affairs,” we were left with questions about divine freedom: specifically, if the act of creation of essential to the divine being, as Hugh McCann claims, how does this not entail the … Continue reading →

Posted in Hugh McCann | Tagged , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Aquinas and Divine Freedom: God Might Have Willed Otherwise

Posted on 18 September 2018 by

Finally we come to the contentious question driving this series on Aquinas: Is the divine act of creation truly free? 7) God wills the world freely and non-necessarily (SCG 81–83, 88). While it may appear that if the metaphysically simple and … Continue reading →

Posted in Aquinas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 53 Comments

Dionysian Ponderings: To let be or not let be–that is the question

Posted on 8 July 2018 by

Did the Lord God Almighty have to create the world? This is the question I now wish to pose to St Dionysius the Areopagite. It is a pressing question for Christian students of the Areopagite because he is so deeply … Continue reading →

Posted in Athanasius, Dionysius the Areopagite | Tagged , , , , , , , | 50 Comments

Freedom and Determinism: What’s the Difference?

Posted on 28 December 2016 by

Free agency, states Hugh McCann, exhibits three essential features. First, free actions cannot be “the product of independent event-causal conditions. An autonomous agent has to be a center of novelty—a point from which, to the extent he influences it, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Hugh McCann, Philosophical Theology | Tagged , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Creation as Chaconne

Posted on 13 September 2016 by

by Pastor Tom Belt Bach’s Chaconne for Violin is 12 to 15 minutes of—well, forgive me for putting it this way—the eucharist ingested through the ears, a divine liturgy of pure music. I have well over a dozen recordings by different … Continue reading →

Posted in Eschatology, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , | 68 Comments

At Liberty to Become Free

Posted on 21 August 2015 by

by Pastor Thomas Belt Many thanks to Fr Adian for the invitation to share my views on the controversial subject of “free will.” I’m grateful for Fr Aidan’s friendship, the encouraging conversations we have, and his kindness in allowing me … Continue reading →

Posted in Theology | Tagged , , , | 98 Comments