Molinism

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RevDrNorth

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How popular in the RCC is Molinism for understanding God’s knowledge? I was curious as I was reading about Neo Molinism (Open Theism) and that lead me to look at Molinism itself. Apparently, one of its main advocates is a Protestant named William Craig Lane.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molinism
(Jesuit Priest)

I imagine that an Augustinian or Thomast view point is more popular.

I found Molinism interesting but it still seems to have problems (eg in terms of its view of salvation).
 
Molinism: To attempt to understand or rectify or in some manner grasp or justify the ALL KNOWING of God and how that interacts or affects creation, especially man within the light of mans limited knowing.

Isn’t this exactly what the Tower of Bable was all about? To create “something” with which man would on his own come to achieve the presence of God?

Do you not see the irony of using our limited knowledge to in some fashion even “think” we can begin to comprehend the ALL KNOWING of God ?

Luke 18; 16-17 “…Trust Me when I tell you that whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God as a child will not enter into it.”

The hope of our salvation is not found in our intellect, but in our Love.
 
My understanding is that classic Molinism is more a theology of grace and free will. It is opposed to the early Protestant reformers, and attacks the problem from the viewpoint that man has a free will, although that does not detract from the primacy of grace.

I think electric energy is a good analogy. Without a voltage source, there can be no current. Free will is the voltage source and grace is the current which enables works to be done. In electricity, voltage does not preceed current, or visa versa. They are simultaneous. That is the big problem for the Molinists and the Thomists (in my understanding) They seem to take a sequential occurence position. First grace, then free will, or visa versa. But that causes all sorts of theological difficulties relating to how truly free the will is, or if God uses his knowledge of the future, to justify grace etc.
 
A book you may find interesting:
William G. Most, Grace, Predestination, and the Salvific Will of God: New Answers to Old Questions (Christendom Press, 1997); ISBN 0-931888-66-2

Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+
 
Cruciform said:
A book you may find interesting:
William G. Most, Grace, Predestination, and the Salvific Will of God: New Answers to Old Questions (Christendom Press, 1997); ISBN 0-931888-66-2

Gaudium de veritate,

Cruciform
+T+
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Thank you. I will look that up.
 
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