Hell

OUR FATHER, HELL AND HEAVEN : M. M. NINAN
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Molinism
Luis de Molina (1535 -1600)
"Concordia liberi arbitrii cum gratiae donis. Disputatio"
Molinism is an attempt to provide a solution to the classic philosophical problems associated with
God's providence, foreknowledge and the freedom of humanity. This view may be traced to the 16th
century Jesuit theologian Luis de Molina (1535 -1600) hence, the name Molinism. Specifically, it seeks
to maintain a strong view of God's sovereignty over creation while at the same time preserving the
belief that human beings have self-determined freedom, or libertarian free will.
"Molina's doctrine is called scientia media, or middle knowledge, because it stands in the middle of the
two traditional categories of divine epistemology as handed down by Aquinas, natural and free
knowledge. It shares characteristics of each and, in the logical order of the divine deliberative process
regarding creation, it follows natural knowledge but precedes free knowledge."
"Luis de Molina’s solution to the freedom/foreknowledge dilemma has had a revival of sorts in the latter
half of the twentieth century, most notably through the efforts of William Lane Craig, Alfred Freddoso,
Jonathan Kvanvig, Thomas Flint, and Alvin Plantinga. In short, these thinkers have followed the Jesuit
Counter-Reformer in postulating a middle knowledge between God’s natural and free knowledge."
Variations of God's knowledge
"The most famous distinctive in Molinism is its affirmation that God has middle knowledge (scienta
media). Molinism holds that God’s knowledge consists of three logical moments. These
“moments” of knowledge are not to be thought of as chronological; rather they are to be
understood as “logical.” In other words, one moment does not come before another moment in time,
rather one moment is logically prior to the other moments. The Molinist differentiates between three
different moments of knowledge which are respectively called natural knowledge, middle knowledge
and free knowledge."
Natural Knowledge – This is God’s knowledge of all necessary and all possible truths. In this “moment”
God knows every possible combination of causes and effects. He also knows all the truths of logic and
all moral truths. God knows all the possible worlds in the multiworlds that are in science.
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