St. Thomas, Divine Freedom, and Compatibilism: A Reply to Pedersen and Lilley

In their recent article, Daniel J. Pedersen and Christopher Lilley construct a two-pronged response to the modal collapse argument against divine simplicity. The first prong relies heavily on distinctions developed by Thomas Aquinas. This essay contests their interpretation of Aquinas by demonstrati...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Chopp, Joel Thomas (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2025
In: Journal of reformed theology
Year: 2025, Volume: 19, Issue: 3, Pages: 232-255
Further subjects:B Divine Freedom
B modal collapse
B Thomas Aquinas
B Simplicity
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Summary:In their recent article, Daniel J. Pedersen and Christopher Lilley construct a two-pronged response to the modal collapse argument against divine simplicity. The first prong relies heavily on distinctions developed by Thomas Aquinas. This essay contests their interpretation of Aquinas by demonstrating that they misconstrue fundamental elements of his modal semantics and doctrine of divine freedom. Subsequently, for theologians who adopt a Thomistic account of these doctrines, it cannot provide a means for avoiding the modal collapse argument. I conclude with suggestions for fruitful avenues to pursue in the ongoing debate over the doctrines of divine simplicity and freedom.
ISSN:1569-7312
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of reformed theology
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15697312-bja10065