Think for Christ

In this in-depth conversation, Anthony Alberino and Andrew Payne tackle a theological proposal that has gained traction among some evangelicals: Open Theism. This view seeks to solve the long-debated tension between divine sovereignty and human freedom by rethinking the nature of God and especially his relationship to time and his knowledge of future free acts. Anthony and Andrew first explain the core claims of Open Theism, including its approach to divine foreknowledge and human choice. They then offer an extended critique, exploring its biblical, philosophical, and doctrinal implications—and why they believe it ultimately fails to provide a faithful solution to the sovereignty–freedom puzzle. Topics covered in this video:

• What is Open Theism?
• Why some evangelicals are attracted to it
• How it addresses the tension between God’s sovereignty and human freedom
• Key philosophical, theological, and biblical objections
• Why Anthony and Andrew believe a better solution exists

If you’ve ever wrestled with how God’s sovereignty works alongside genuine human choices, or if you’ve encountered Open Theism and want to understand it critically, this conversation is for you.

When it comes to the question of divine and human agency, the prevailing view among Christian theologians and philosophers (not to mention Christian laypeople) is that it is zero sum game. In other words, the more agency God exercises over the human will, the less agency the human has. It seems like we have to make a choice here. We have to either choose to uphold God’s universal causality and diminish human freedom or choose to uphold human freedom and diminish God’s causality. But, in his book Free Will and God’s Universal Causality, Dr. W. Matthews Grant denies that such a choice has to be made. Dr. Grant argues that by embracing a Dual Sources Account, we can resolve the conflict between human freedom divine causality without diminishing either. In this episode of Think for Christ, Dr. W. Matthews Grant joins Anthony Alberino to talk about divine causation and human freedom and the Dual Sources Account.

• Amazon link to Dr. Grant's book: https://www.amazon.com/Free-Will-Gods-Universal-Causality/dp/1350203653/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LU8U1F0F33LA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yPOEXNqMWQnSZ0anoQnRHA.9BVmBQGe7yInHlYeBwTy1HwtgZGKH8ZaTyRuBDJVxLE&dib_tag=se&keywords=free+will+and+god%27s+universal+causality&qid=1754063323&sprefix=free+will+and+God%27s+univeral%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-1
• Link to the paper mentioned in the episode: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11406-024-00790-w

In this video, Anthony Alberino presents a basic argument against the idea that machines—no matter how advanced—can actually think or possess understanding. Drawing from philosopher Edward Feser's 2024 book Immortal Souls: A Treatise on Human Nature, Alberino examines why understanding the nature of a computer is the key to seeing why Artificial Intelligence can only ever simulate or mimic human intelligence.

In recent years, an old and largely discarded view of Christ’s atonement has been quietly resurfacing on the internet. Known historically as the Ransom Theory (or the Ransom from Satan Theory) this idea suggests that Jesus died as a payment to Satan in order to free humanity from his grasp. According to this view, as a result of Adam's sin, Satan was given legal and rightful authority over the lost souls of humans. Since Satan had rightful claim, God could not simply exercise his power over him and instead offered the soul of Christ in exchange for the those in captivity to Satan. In this video, Anthony Alberino traces the emergence of the Ransom Theory from its early roots in the Church Fathers to its imaginative retelling in modern times by C.S. Lewis in his The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Alberino then a biblical critique of the view and makes the case that the Ransom Theory should remain a relic of the past. What you'll learn:

• What the Ransom Theory is and where it came from
• Why it fails as a biblically faithful theory of the atonement
• How Christ and the New Testament writers understood the atonement
• The real meaning of the words ransom and redemption as deployed in the New Testament

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In this compelling conversation, James Dolezal returns to Think for Christ with Anthony Alberino to explore the classical doctrine of the Trinity. For centuries, divine simplicity was considered essential to maintaining a truly monotheistic understanding of the Christian God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But in modern Protestant theology, the neglect of this doctrine has led to confusion and, in many cases, a drift toward tri-theism. Dr. Dolezal explains why recovering the classical view—especially as articulated by Thomas Aquinas—is critical for upholding both the unity of God and the real distinction of the Persons within the Trinity. Together, they unpack the errors of social trinitarianism and make the case for a return to principled, historic Christian theology.

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• 📖 Topics covered: What is divine simplicity and why is it so important to uphold? Why is divine simplicity necessary to maintain a principled monotheism? How has the doctrine of simplicity regulated formulations of the Trinity historically? Does social trinitarianism tend toward tri-theism? How does Aquinas formulate a doctrine of the Trinity that upholds divine simplicity and the real distinction among the Persons?

Is the universe bereft of meaning, goodness, and purpose? Has modern science revealed to us our ultimate cosmic insignificance? According to the intellectual vision of cosmological nihilism, the answer to these questions is yes. What is the nature of this view? What motivates it? And how has it come to form the background image of Western society? Philosopher Dr. Brian Kemple joins Anthony Alberino to talk about the bleak specter of cosmological nihilism and the need for a true philosophical turn to regain our metaphysical sanity and to reorient our intellectual vision so that we can once again behold the cosmic order and our place within it.

• Link to the Lyceum Institute: https://lyceum.institute
• Link to REALITY Journal: https://realityjournal.org
• Link to purchase Brian's book Introduction to Philosophical Principles: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Philosophical-Principles-Physics-Person/dp/B0B92H8ZWN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1H927YZY69XRB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.L76oOvaRuff6LZl6gYpj_a2-1b4_KLTiGVv28Eii-z8.97IXMcaGQUycrDyQwcefez-gbTOnl8Pf7pGj_jRp4OQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=introduction+to+philosophical+principles%2C+kemple&qid=1751135840&sprefix=introduction+to+philosophical+principles%2C+kemple%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-1

What does it mean to say that God is without passions? Why does it matter? In this thought-provoking episode of Think for Christ, Dr. James Dolezal joins Anthony Alberino to explore the vital doctrine of divine impassibility. Together, they dive deep into questions like: Does God feel emotions the way we do? Can He truly understand human suffering if He doesn’t experience it? Dr. Dolezal brings clear, biblical, and philosophical insight to these challenging topics. Don't miss this engaging conversation on why denying passions in God is essential to a proper understanding of His nature.

In an interview with Tucker Carlson, evolutionary biologist and podcaster Bret Weinstein explains why he does not believe in God. In the is episode, Anthony Alberino critically analyzes Weinstein's case for atheism. Alberino argues that given Weinstein's guiding principle for getting at the truth, he ought to embrace theism and not atheism.

Philosophers Dr. Daniel Vecchio and Pat Flynn are back to chat with Anthony Alberino about another paper that they've collaborated on titled "Euthyphro 2.0: The Metaphysical Dilemma of (God's) Essence and Existence." Daniel and Pat argue that theists who reject the classical notion of divine simplicity face an ontological priority problem that is structurally similar to the Euthyphro Dilemma. Moreover, they contend that to reject divine simplicity is to give up the principles needed for divine ultimacy and ontological grounding.

• Pat's Philosophy for the People YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PhilosophyforthePeople
• Pat's Journal of Absolute Truth Substack: https://journalofabsolutetruth.substack.com
• Daniel's Vexing Questions blog: https://vexingquestions.wordpress.com/about/

The logical problem of evil is dead and cannot be resurrected as an argument against a philosophically robust understanding of God. Dr. Daniel Vecchio and Pat Flynn join Anthony Alberino to defend this claim and to discuss their paper, "There Can Be No Succesful Logical Argument from Evil."

• You can find a link to the paper here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/new-blackfriars/article/abs/there-can-be-no-successful-logical-argument-from-evil/F15FE474998459B90C70849E58088385
• Pat's Philosophy for the People YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PhilosophyforthePeople Pat's Journal of Absolute Truth Substack: https://journalofabsolutetruth.substack.com
• Daniel's Vexing Questions blog: https://vexingquestions.wordpress.com/about/