The Most Real Being: A Biblical and Philosophical Defense of Divine Determinism

About this book

This book presents a thorough and logical defense of what its author calls divine determinism - the belief that every aspect of everything that exists and of everything that occurs has been willed and determined by God - that no aspect of anything that occurs is outside the scope of Gods control. Written from the perspective that the Bible teaches the truth about Gods relationship to his creation it begins by asking what the Bible teaches with respect to the scope of Gods determinative control of reality. It argues that such a question cannot be answered by means of biblical proof-texts but can only be answered by discovering the logical implications of certain foundational biblical teachings about God. It concludes that these foundational teachings about God rationally require divine determinism. The study ends by exploring in depth various thorny intellectual objections that are naturally and unavoidably raised against the doctrine of divine determinism and defends the doctrine against the more important of those objections. In the course of this study Jack Crabtree resolves the important philosophical issues that have to be resolved if divine determinism is to have any intellectual viability. He contends: 1) that divine determinism is compatible with free will and human responsibility 2) that divine determinism is compatible with the goodness of God 3) that divine determinism does not preclude moral striving and human effort to live righteously 4) that divine determinism is not-and does not lead to-fatalism and 5) that divine determinism does not require an abandonment of ones commonsensical perspective on everyday reality. Dr. Crabtrees approach is fresh and innovative. While undoubtedly controversial this study makes a very important original ground-breaking contribution to an age-old debate. Whether the reader ultimately agrees or disagrees with its conclusions the arguments outlined in this important study cannot justly be ignored. No thoughtful person who seeks to resolve the dilemma of divine sovereignty and human responsibility can afford to remain unacquainted with the perspective defended in this book.