It’s the age old question–if God is sovereign over all things then how do we have free will? And if God controls everything, does that make Him the author of evil since He causes humans to sin? How do we reconcile a good God with all of the pain and suffering that’s happening in the world? It can seem like a bit of a conundrum for Christians, and the lack of satisfactory answers has caused many people to turn away from God. But what if there was a doctrine or school of thought that could help us make sense of these seemingly intractable problems? Joining Frank on the podcast this week is CIA graduate and professor of Theology at Trinity Theological Seminary, Tim Stratton, who has spent his fair share of time studying these dillemmas. So much time in fact, that this centuries old school of thought known as “Mere Molinism” became the focus of his doctoral dissertation. During the episode, Frank and Tim will answer questions like: What event in his personal life caused Tim to question his former Calvinist beliefs? Where does the term Molinism come from? What are the two “main ingredients” of Molinism? How does Molinism compare to Arminianism and Calvinism? What is the proper interpretation of Romans 9? How does Molinism solve the problem of evil? How does Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame apply to Molinism? If you’ve ever struggled with the problem of evil or wondered how we can possibly steer our own ship when God is completely omniscient, then this episode will definitely give you a few light bulb moments! For more information on this topic, be sure to check out Tim’s contribution to Faith Examined (a collection of essays written by CIA graduates) or Tim’s book ‘Human Freedom, Divine Knowledge, and Mere Molinism‘. To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry. You can also SUPPORT THE PODCAST HERE. RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE: Faith Examined book: https://a.co/d/hvS13kK Free Thinking Ministries: https://freethinkingministries.com/ Tim’s book on Mere Molinism: https://a.co/d/bBWr0u1 In-Person CIA (Charlotte, NC): https://crossexamined.org/what-is-cia/ CIA Online 2024: https://bit.ly/3T8Unjw

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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