Critical Examination of Divine Absolute Knowledge in Open Theology Based on the Intellectual Framework of Islamic Philosophers

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Theoretical Foundations of Islam, Faculty of Islamic Thought and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jpht.2025.387509.1006093

Abstract

Open theism refers to one of the new theories in theology and the philosophy of religion, introducing different views and perspectives. Their perspective on the attribute of “divine absolute knowledge” is one of the controversial theories in open theology. According to this theory, they believe that God’s knowledge is limited to the present and the past, and He does not have definite knowledge about future events (including human voluntary actions). The present study, aiming at examining and evaluating divine absolute knowledge in open theology and critique it based on the intellectual framework of Mulla Sadra (Sadr al-Motealehin) and Allameh Tabatabaei, has been carried out by a descriptive-analytical method. The research findings suggest that open theists believe in the theory of dynamic absolute knowledge, which accepts the causal and epistemic openness of the future in this school. By attributing temporality to God and accepting the passivity of divine knowledge, the necessary grounds for denying divine foreknowledge have been provided. The current research attempts to address the conflict between divine foreknowledge and the anthropomorphic aspect of God in open theology, relying on the intellectual framework of Mulla Sadra and Allameh Tabatabaei.

Keywords

Main Subjects


قرآن کریم
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