A Molinist View of (the UK General) Election

Although I'm not a UK citizen, being a Commonwealth citizen I could vote in yesterday's UK general election. And I'm a Molinist.

According to Molinism,

1. Knowing what tempts us and how much grace we need (to not be tempted beyond what we can bear), God gives us the ability to resist temptation (by His grace) or resist His grace.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

2. God knows whether (and under what circumstances) we would resist temptation or resist His grace.

For example, Jesus knew that 'if the miracles that were performed in [Korazin and Bethsaida] had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes' (Matthew 11:21, NIV). Of course, the point is not that the miracles that were performed in Korazin and Bethsaida were not performed in Tyre and Sidon. The point is that even if the miracles that were performed in Korazin and Bethsaida were not performed in Tyre and Sidon, Tyre and Sidon - under the circumstances which did obtain - could have chosen to repent but nevertheless chose not to repent.

Indeed, God knew that Judas would betray Jesus under certain circumstances. Again, the point is not that Judas might not have betrayed Jesus under different circumstances. The point is that even if Judas would not have betrayed Jesus under different circumstances, Judas - under the circumstances which did obtain - could have chosen not to betray Jesus but nevertheless chose to betray Jesus.

3. Knowing whether (and under what circumstances) we would resist temptation or resist His grace, God works all things according to His will.

Knowing that Judas would betray Jesus under certain circumstances, God created a world in which these circumstances would obtain and Judas would betray Jesus - leading to Jesus' death and resurrection for our justification.

Turning to the UK general election,

1. God gives us the opportunity to vote - and vote freely!
2. God knows whether (and under what circumstances) we would vote - and which party we would vote for!
3. Knowing all of the above, God works all things according to His will.

"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." - Romans 13:1 (NIV)

*****

Molinism places mystery where it should be located, i.e. in God's infinite attributes rather than in his character. Critics of Molinism, particularly open theists, contend that the Molinist fails to give an adequate explanation of how it is that God infallibly knows what choices free creatures are going to make. This is generally known as "the grounding objection", because it questions whether Molinism provides any grounds or basis for God's middle knowledge.

Molinists generally reply by arguing that God innately knows all things by virtue of his omniscience, and that it is simply in the nature of God to have infallible knowledge of all things. The Molinist advocate affirms, but may not be able to explain to everyone's satisfaction, that God has exhaustive foreknowledge of what creatures with libertarian freedom will do.

If Molinists have to appeal to mystery at this point, it is doing so at a better and more reasonable point. I'd rather have the Molinist difficulty of not being able to explain how God's omniscience operates, instead of the Calvinist difficulty of making God appear to be the author of sin. In other words, Molinism's difficulties are with God's infinite attributes rather than his holy and righteous nature.

Implicit in the grounding objection is the denial that God has the ability to create creatures with libertarian freedom (of the morally significant kind). This places a surprising constraint on the scope of God's sovereignty. The Molinist embraces a richer conception of God's sovereignty, since God exercises meticulous providence despite the existence of free creatures!

One of the things we understand the least about God is how his infinite attributes operate - his omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. So why place the mystery of reprobation in God's character? Molinists do not claim to know God's purposes exhaustively, but one of the things most clearly revealed about God is his holiness, righteousness and goodness. Would we not rather place the mystery within the transcendent, infinite, inexhaustible omniscience of God rather than the revealed character and purposes of God?

- Kenneth Keathley, A Molinist View of Election or How to be a Consistent Infralapsarian

Links: A Molinist View of Relationships (19 May 10), The First and Ultimate Matchmaker (4 Jun 10), A Molinist View of Samson's Marriage (30 Jun 10)