Abstract

AbstractOpen theism denies that God has definite exhaustive foreknowledge, and affirms that God takes certain risks when creating the universe. Critics of open theism often complain that the risks are too high. Perhaps there is something morally wrong with God taking a risk in creating a universe with an open future. Open theists have tried to respond by clarifying how much risk is involved in God creating an open universe, though we argue that it remains unclear how much risk is actually involved. We claim that open theists need to start developing theories about how God manages risks in order to bring about His purposes for the universe. In this article, we will take a philosophical and biological perspective on risk management that adds plausibility to open theism. We will consider how God can use different risk‐management, surveillance, and redundancy systems in the natural world in order to accomplish His goals.

Highlights

  • Open theism and risk managementCitation for published version: Mullins, RT & Sani, E 2021, 'Open theism and risk management: A philosophical and biological perspective', Zygon

  • Open theism denies that God has definite exhaustive foreknowledge, and affirms that God takes certain risks when creating the universe

  • In “What is Open Theism?” section of this article, we articulate the basic claims of the open theist model of God, and discuss the confusion over how much risk is involved in God creating an open universe

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Summary

Open theism and risk management

Citation for published version: Mullins, RT & Sani, E 2021, 'Open theism and risk management: A philosophical and biological perspective', Zygon. Link: Link to publication record in Edinburgh Research Explorer Document Version: Publisher's PDF, known as Version of record

What is Open Theism?
How Much Risk?
What Kind of Universe Would God Create?
Why Should We Engage with Molecular Biology?
Biological Redundancies
Taking Stock
Findings
Concluding Thoughts

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