TFA Conference 23rd October 2010 "Open Theism"

Date: Saturday 23rd October 2010
Venue: Tyndale House, Cambridge, UK
Speaker: Revd Dr Mike Ovey, Principal of Oak Hill College
Cost: £15 (£10 for TFA members)

Booking form here

Does God control everything that takes place in the world? Or is he open to influence through the prayers, decisions and actions of people? Is he able to know or anticipate the future, yet remain fluid to respond and react to prayer and decisions made either contrary or in accordance with his plans? Is God ever affected by and does he respond to what we do? ‘Open Theism’ answers ‘yes’ to these last three questions.

Open Theists say that believers pray expecting that God will answer their prayers, not that the outcome was predetermined and therefore meaningless to pray. Therefore all Christians in practice treat God as if he will respond to them, and act themselves as if their moral choices are real and have real impact.

One proponent writes, ‘...When a two-month old child contracts a painful, incurable bone cancer that means suffering and death, it is a pointless evil. The Holocaust is pointless evil ... God does not have a specific purpose in mind for these occurrences’ (John Sanders, The God Who Risks [Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1998], p. 262).

Similarly, Greg Boyd says: "When an individual inflicts pain on another individual, I do not think we can go looking for the purpose of God in the event. . . . I know Christians frequently speak about the purpose of God in the midst of a tragedy caused by someone else. . . . But this I regard to simply be a piously confused way of thinking." (Letters from a Skeptic [Colorado Springs: Chariot Victor Publishing, 1994], p. 47).

Opponents respond that if God is not exercising control of the universe, or does not exhaustively know, even ordain,  the future, this would imply that he is not in control and we are not able to completely trust in God’s sovereignty. In fact, God does foreknow with certainty all that shall come to pass.

How do God’s foreknowledge and human responsibility / ‘free’ will relate? Does God ‘ordain’ or merely ‘permit’? This day conference will examine these issues and attempt to bring the Scriptures to bear on them and seek a truly biblical understanding of them. As well as discussing the theological teaching involved in ‘Open Theism’, we will also apply this to various practical, pastoral situations.

Rev'd Michael Ovey, PhD, MTh, MA, BCL, BA
Principal
Doctrine, Apologetics & Liturgy

Mike believes that the more we know the truth about God, his grace and greatness, the more we love and trust him. His vision is for students at Oak Hill to grow in knowledge and loving trust in this God.

Before coming to Oak Hill, Mike was a civil service lawyer drafting government legislation. He trained at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, and worked as a curate for four years at All Saints, Crowborough, before teaching for three years at Moore Theological College, Sydney. He joined Oak Hill in 1998 and since then has finished a PhD in the field of Trinitarian theology.

He is married to Heather, and they have three children, Charlie, Harry and Anastasia. He remains incurably optimistic about the prospects of Arsenal FC and the England rugby team, solace being provided by the works of PG Wodehouse. Most recent writing includes co-authoring the book, Pierced for our Transgressions (IVP).