Molinism for the (beginning) Aspiring Theologian

            For someone who didn’t grow up in church, the term Molinism sounds like a word Webster Dictionary just made up. However, once you spend some time in a church setting, this term or the idea surrounding it may eventually come up. So, what is Molinism and how does it relate to the bigger picture?
            There are two main elements to Molinism; “God has middle knowledge of counterfactuals of creaturely freedom and agents are possessed of libertarian free will.” (Smith & Limanto) To break that down in even simpler terms, middle knowledge means between natural and free knowledge regarding God’s creative process. A counterfactual is simply a conditional statement and when referring to “creaturely or agent,” the author is referring to living things. Libertarian free will is not referring to political beliefs but is the “conjunction of a rejection of compatibilism along with the claim that humans (at least occasionally) possess free will.” (Stratton). Compatibilism is the idea that both determinism and free will can and do exist. Both elements; that God has middle knowledge of creaturely freedom and humans have libertarian free will are essential beliefs to Molinism.
            So how does this relate to the bigger picture? The idea if humans truly have free will and if we are predestined or predetermined to go to heaven or hell is a conversation you will likely have a time or two in your lifetime. For example, when it comes to free will, is sin a choice? In 1 Corinthians 10:13 the Bible says that God gives us a way out of every temptation. If this is the case, then why do we still sin? Is it our free will and choice that makes us sin? Or is it just God’s will that we will continue to live in sin even though the Bible says the wages of sin is death in Romans 6:23? For many people, they don’t believe that we can possess free will to make choices while God is both all-powerful and all-knowing. However, if there was no free will and we were forced to worship God, it wouldn’t be a choice and then it is no longer worship. He invites us into a relationship with Him, not forces us into one. Thus, the theological idea of Molinism; how God can be completely sovereign and exhaustively predestined all things without causally determining all things (Stratton).


Smith, Andrew, and John Limanto. “Molinism: A Mutual Understanding.” Free Thinking Ministries, 27 Aug. 2018,
              freethinkingministries.com/molinism-a-mutual-understanding/.
Stratton, Tim. “Molinism, Calvinism, Apples, & Oranges.” Free Thinking Ministries, 20 Aug. 2018,
              freethinkingministries.com/molinism-calvinism-apples-oranges/.
Stratton, Tim. “What Is Libertarian Free Will?” Free Thinking Ministries, 16 July 2018,
              freethinkingministries.com/what-is-libertarian-free-will/.


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