Anyone here interested in "open theism??"

It basically gives a solid theological basis for contending/believing that prayer is effective. God works WITH humans; He has not predetermined from the beginning everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen.

This theological concept/belief is driving fundamentalist Christians crazy. (For some here at DU, that fact alone might be a reason to look into open theism.)

From www.opentheism.info:

information on open theism
Tom Belt

Summary of Open Theism to the AOG - A paper by Tom Belt that he wrote to introduce his denomination, the Assemblies of God, to open theism.
Gregory Boyd

God and the Future - A brief Outline of the Open View of God.

The Open View of the Future
William Hasker

The Openness of God - An article taken by permission from Christian Scholar's Review 28:1 (Fall, 1998: 111-139)

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An opposing response to "The Openness of God":
"The 'Openness' of God: A Reply to William Hasker" - Christian Scholar's Review by Alfred J. Freddoso, University of Notre Dame.
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Hasker's response to Freddoso:
Tradition, Divine Transcendence, and the Waiting Father - Christian Scholar's Review 28:1 (Fall, 1998: 134-139)

The Problem of Evil in Process Theism and Classical Free Will Theism - Process Studies. Vol. 29, Number 2, Fall-Winter, 2000: pp. 194-208.

Implications of Divine Repentance For the Attributes of God

The Incompatibility of Libertarian Free Will and Divine Timelessness
Clark Pinnock

God's Sovereignty in Today's World - From Theology Today; Princeton; Apr 1996

God as Most Moved Mover - From Worship Leader Magazine, Nov./Dec. 2000
George M. Porter

Things That May Be Only? - Lorenzo Dow McCabe and Some Neglected Nineteenth Century Roots of Open Theism in North America
Ron Saari

Preserving Civility and Piety within the BGC. - A letter concerning the Baptist General Conference's ongoing debate and internal strife regarding the inclusion of exhaustive foreknowledge into their statement of faith. The letter is written to BGC pastors from a BGC pastor.
John Sanders

Bibliography on Open Theism

Bibliography on Relational Theism

The Early Church Fathers on Hellenism and Impassibility

Is Openness Christian theism?

Mapping the Terrain of Divine Providence - A major paper explaining the main views on divine providence and omniscience

1994-2004, an Overview of the Debate on Open Theism in Evangelicalism

Divine Relationality and Theodicy in The Shack - Presented at the American Academy of Religion in Montreal Canada, November 7, 2009
From Christianity Today

Does God Know Your Next Move? - Does God change his mind? Will God ever change his plans in response to our prayers? If God knows it all, are we truly free? What does God know-and when does he know it? Christopher A. Hall and John Sanders debate openness theology. Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today, Inc./Christianity Today magazine. May 21, 2001, Vol. 45, No. 7, Page 38

A Letter to the Editor of Christianity Today - The March 5th 2001, Issue of Christianity Today published an interview with Royce Gruenler making some odd accusations against Open Theism. Here is a response (a form of which is to be published by CT) by John Sanders, Clark Pinnock, Greg Boyd, William Hasker, Richard Rice and David Basinger.

Best wishes to those who might want to check this out from

Bobbie in Oklahoma

...but if you go into the Gungeon, and start a thread on Open Carry Theism, you'll have to fend the crowds off with a stick..

Does an all powerful being have a plan for all the bullshit he puts us through or did he create us as some sort of grand experiment because he was bored and wanted to see how we'd play it out?

Rich people love predestination, of course, since it assures them their constant grabbing away from others has the divine stamp of approval. The poor prefer the free will model, giving themselves the illusion they can do something about the grabbers or that the grabbers will go to hell eventually.

I find both propositions equally cruel and the reason I never bought into that supreme being stuff, in the first place, unless the Taoists are right and the universe is a living organism that is not self aware, much less aware of us or this unimportant planet on the edge of a so-so galaxy in a rather boring part of a generally violent universe.

You, of course, are free to choose whatever gets you though the night.

and to love mercy ... Micah 6:8

I'm not much of a enthusiast for determinism, whether it springs from some theological predestination theory or from some allegedly scientific mechanicalism: if we have no choices, what sense can we make of any of our acts or discussions, which then have become reduced to matters completely beyond our control? It is true that we are not completely free, in the sense that our lives and bodies and thoughts all occur within unavoidable constraints, and it is also true that we can passively abdicate our freedom further, allowing ourselves to be directed largely by external forces -- but the task of becoming human is a one of seeking our freedom by examining the possibilities open to us and by struggling against existing limitations to recreate ourselves and our world in better form

...I've yet to see any empirical evidence that "prayer is effective." Likewise, it would seem to me that the concept of "free will" is the antithesis of any form of religion, as religions imply a dogma made up of set rules, godly laws, morals, rituals and behaviors for believers to follow.

- If a belief system is so open as to allow its adherent's beliefs to go into any direction, what is its purpose? None that I can see.

Thank you.

"solid theological basis" to know that this is just more liberal/progressive Christian woo-woo. Define "god" in whatever way they think will render questions of his existence beyond rational inquiry and their belief in him immune from criticism. Give god credit for all the good stuff and blame human failings for all of the bad stuff. And in the end, the world still looks exactly as you could expect if there were no god at all.

Whatever. Old and tired stuff on this board.

Gods have always been viewed as variously passive, interactive, dictatorial, or all of the above.

The notion of full-duplex prayer is not at all new.

its all bunk, as far as I am concerned.

I happen to believe in "Open Theism". Never knew there was an actual name.

Back to what I was saying though, the question was not whether or not you believe in prayer. Do not delude yourselves into thinking your opinion is so important that you need to post it in every forum thread... Or that your mission in life should be to convert people to atheism.

It would be published under a Creative Commons License, open to editing and revision by users.

WikiGod, in other words.

One day, you go to hell for eating pork by the light of the full moon. On edit, moon-pork is redefined as a venial sin, and you just have to say five "Hail Obamas" to earn eternal redemption.

And on the seventh day, WikiGod is hacked by /b/tards and literally everything on earth turns into porn.