Open Theism in Adventism

[Humble_Disciple]

Open theism was taught by the medieval Jewish philosopher Gersonides, as well as other medieval Jewish thinkers, based on Genesis 22:12, as well as other scriptures where God appears to react based on human decisions.

Genesis 22:12
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” He said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

The reason why open theism doesn't contradict God's perfection is because, according to open theists, the future is unknowable because, by definition, it doesn't yet exist.

Asking if God can know a future that doesn't exist yet is, according to open theism, like asking if God can create a rock so big that even He can't lift it.

Rabbi Yeshayahu Horowitz explained the apparent paradox of his position by citing the old question, "Can God create a rock so heavy that He cannot pick it up?" He said that we cannot accept free choice as a creation of God's, and simultaneously question its logical compatibility with omnipotence.
Gersonides - Wikipedia

Open theism, while not a majority position, has been taught in Adventism for a long time:

David Larson has claimed, "although it may seem new to some, in less detailed forms the basics of “Open Theism” have been taught at Loma Linda University for about fifty years [as of 2007], beginning at least as early as long-time professor Jack W. Provonsha."[5]
Richard Rice (theologian) - Wikipedia

I wonder if the support for open theism in Adventism is for preventing another Great Disappointment.

Mark 13:32
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

One could say that Jesus voluntarily emptied Himself of foreknowledge in human flesh, but wouldn’t He at least remember the date of His return if that were the case?

The day and the hour of Christ’s return are not predetermined, but instead will come to pass at the appropriate season.

Acts 1:7
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

The due season will come once the Gospel has been preached to all peoples, giving them a chance of repentance before the Second Coming, but the exact date is yet to be determined.

Matthew 28:19-20
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

2 Peter 3
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night…

When Jesus says, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father,” (Mark 13:32), he is saying that determining the date is the Father’s responsibility, not that he has already set the date.
To borrow an analogy from Greg Boyd, the Father knows the hour of Christ’s return in the same way an earthly father knows when his daughter is old enough to date. This doesn’t mean he has a date fixed in his mind; only that he’ll know when the right time has come.
In the same way a daughter can hasten that day by demonstrating maturity, so can the church also, according to 2 Peter 3, hasten the Lord’s return by obediently spreading the gospel.
Many also point to messianic prophecies as a demonstration of God’s exhaustive foreknowledge of future events. Again, according to open theology, God in his omnipotence can bring about whatever he wishes. If he desired to fulfill these messianic prophecies in Christ, he could have, with or without exhaustive foreknowledge of future events.
Prophecy and Its Place Within Open Theism | Garrett Ham

Second, the crowing of the [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] reveals no special foreknowledge on Jesus’ part but was simply a way of referring to the break of dawn (when [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] always crow). Perhaps some providential intervention was necessary to have the [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] crow immediately after Peter’s third betrayal in order to drive home the point of Jesus’ prophecy (Matt. 26:74–75), but that is certainly an easy feat for the sovereign Lord of history.
How do you respond to Matthew 26:36? - Greg Boyd - ReKnew

As in Revelation 13:8, the clause “from the foundation” (apo kataboleis) need not mean “from before the foundation” but simply “from the foundation” (= since the foundation). It’s not that names either were or were not written in the “book of life” before they were ever born. Rather, throughout history, in response to the choices people made, God either wrote or omitted their names from the “book of life.” The fact that names may be blotted out even after they’ve been included (Exod. 32:33; Rev. 3:5, cf. Rev. 22:18) further suggests this “book of life” is not eternally written in stone.
https://reknew.org/2008/01/rev-178-refers-to-people-whose-name-havent-been-written-in-the-book-of-life-from-the-foundation-of-the-world-doesnt-this-conflict-with-open-theism/

I wonder how well-regarded Richard Rice and other Adventist open theists are within Adventism today. If their position were considered unacceptable to the governing body of the church, would they be censored or reprimanded?

 

[BobRyan]

Open theism, while not a majority position, has been taught in Adventism for a long time:

I wonder if the support for open theism in Adventism is for preventing another Great Disappointment.

I agree that it must be a very small group within Adventism. Most would agree that God knows all about the future.

I don't think open theism work to prevent "another Great Disappointment" - since by definition even God himself would not know if another one were around the corner under Open Theism. I don't find many SDAs holding to open theism. But as you say - a few do.

Andrews University is our primary school of theology for SDAs not Loma Linda but I don't doubt that Provonsha may indeed hold to some form of Open Theism.

Open Theism in the classic sense is about "what God knows" - but the examples in your post deals with what Christ claimed to know when He said only the Father knows certain details. That would mean that God still knows everything but that Christ chose to restrict himself from accessing certain knowledge that the Father has.

He would need to restrict Himself like that for the sake of the Gospel.

 

[BobRyan]

I wonder how well-regarded Richard Rice and other Adventist open theists are within Adventism today. If their position were considered unacceptable to the governing body of the church, would they be censored or reprimanded?

I wish I could say "yes".

there is a lot of room for free will and individual choice in the SDA denomination. That means certain conferences, Unions within the North American Division will shy away from leaders holding odd ideas - but that person might always find a "home" some place all the same.