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Is Open Theism Essentially an Evangelical thing?

Full Question:

Is open theism an essentially evangelical protestant model? In the last 5 years I have shifted from Evangelical to a (Anglican) Catholic ecclesiology, view of tradition and worship, yet remained a strong supporter of the open view of God. However outside of evangelicalism there seems to be little awareness of the middle path that openness theology has plotted between Process and Plato.

Edward Green

Reply:

There are quite a few Anglicans that affirm open theism. Esteemed British philosphers Richard Swinburne and J. R. Lucas, for instance. However, please note that the term "open theism" has not been used by European thinkers. In a discussion with Polkinghorne in the summer of 2001 I asked him if was an open theist. He was not familiar with the term and asked me to define it. When I did he rerplied: "Yes, I affirm that position." You can read his affirmation of openness in a book he edited "The Work of Love: Creation as Kenosis" (Eerdmans, 2001). A number of open theists state their position in this book including Arthur Peacocke, Jurgen Moltmann, Keith Ward and Paul Fiddes.

John Sanders

Reply:

Clearly open theism, or the openness of God, as a theological movement originated within evangelical protestantism, and so far is best known within this tradition. But there are Anglicans who hold very similar views on the key issues. Philosophers such as Richard Swinburne and J. R. Lucas come to mind here. J. R. Polkinghorne accepts the key tenets of open theism, and I believe the views of the Anglican theologian Keith Ward are quite similar as well.

William Hasker

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