Frequently Asked Questions
Is Molinism biblical?
Yes. Scripture attests to God’s possession of middle knowledge and the existence of CCF’s (counterfactuals of creaturely freedom).
Didn’t Jacobus Arminius, the founder of “Arminianism”, believe in middle knowledge?
Yes, but what Arminius understood as “middle knowledge” was vastly different than the conclusion of Molina. Arminius believed God possessed middle knowledge after His divine creative decree, whereas the very basis of Molinism requires God to have possessed middle knowledge before His divine creative decree.
Which letters of T.U.L.I.P. do molinists believe in?
Molinist conclusions regarding the “letters” of T.U.L.I.P. vary greatly.
Which contemporary theologians endorse Molinism/God’s Middle knowledge?
A few of the most notable names are Alvin Plantinga, William Lane Craig, Kenneth Keathley, Thomas Flint, Alfred J. Freddoso, Dave Armstrong, and Kirk R. MacGregor. Bruce A. Ware purports an understanding of Middle Knowledge that’s harmonized with compatibalistic free will. Due to his clear Calvinistic soteriology, Ware would not be properly labeled a “Molinist” – although his affirmations of God’s Middle Knowledge are rooted in his studies under Alvin Plantinga.
Are Molinism or Middle Knowledge heretical?
No. The theological conclusions of Luis de Molina have never been declared heretical by the Catholic church or any Protestant tradition. This includes the assertion that man’s libertarian free will and God’s complete sovreignty are compatible. This conviction, the central tenant of Molinism, certainly may affect one’s soteriology, anthropology, and theology proper – yet no prominent theologian has categorized the system as heretical. Middle Knowledge has likewise been accepted as orthodox, being broadly applied into the theological systems of Calvinists and Molinists alike.