The Future of Open Theism - by Richard Rice (Paperback)

About the Book

Evangelical theology has grappled with open theism and its alternative doctrine of God for decades. Richard Rice recounts the history of open theism from its antecedents and early developments to its more recent expressions, considering how it might continue to develop in relation to several primary doctrines of the Christian faith.

Book Synopsis

Open theism has reached its adolescence. How did it get here? And where does it go from here?

Since IVP's publication of The Openness of God in 1994, evangelical theology has grappled with the alternative vision of the doctrine of God that open theism offers. Responding to critics who claim that it proposes a truncated version of God that fails to account for Scripture and denies many of the traditional attributes of God, open theism's proponents contend that its view of God is not only biblically warranted but also more accurate--with a portrayal of God that emphasizes divine love for humanity and responsiveness to human free will. No matter what one's assessment, open theism inarguably has made a significant impact on recent theological discourse.

Now, twenty-five years later, Richard Rice recounts in this volume the history of open theism from its antecedents and early developments to its more recent and varied expressions. He then considers different directions that open theism might continue to develop in relation to several primary doctrines of the Christian faith.

Review Quotes

"In this well-written, impressively comprehensive, and compellingly argued work, Richard Rice outlines the past, present, and (what may be) the future of open theism. Reflecting an admirably irenic spirit at every turn, Rice discusses not only the multitude of theological and philosophical issues that separate open theists from their critics, but also that distinguish different varieties of open theism from one another. Whether you're an advocate, critic, or just an interested bystander, after reading The Future of Open Theism, I suspect you'll be surprised by how much about open theism you did not know! This is simply indispensable reading for anyone interested in this important topic."

About the Author

Richard Rice (PhD, University of Chicago Divinity School) is professor of religion at Loma Linda University. He is the author of several books, including Suffering and the Search for Meaning, Reason and the Contours of Faith, and God's Foreknowledge and Man's Free Will, and coauthor of The Openness of God: A Biblical Challenge to the Traditional Understanding of God.