Why Classical Theism Matters

 In recent history, theological discussions that might otherwise be relegated to the ivory tower have spilled over to the popular level. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is how blogs, social media profiles, and podcasts influence subsequent social media interactions. Now, at both the academic and popular levels, there is a clear line of demarcation between classical theism and theistic personalism.

Even this terminology raises questions. Most theistic personalists do not self-identify as such. And many people have no idea what a term like "classical theology" means. 

For simplicity's sake (pun intended), classical theism refers to the view of God widely shared over the course of history that sees God as simple (not composed of parts) and immutable (unchanging in His being). This leads to many further assertions, such as God is pure act, the unmoved Mover, being itself, etc. In contrast, a relatively recent view has quickly attained consensus among many modern scholars. That view is theistic personalism, which holds God must be personal in some sense in the same way we are personal, and this typically results in either denying or reformulating classical views of simplicity and immutability. Subsequently, questions are raised about the very nature or possibility of natural theology, apologetic method, and ultimately the nature of fundamental reality itself. 

While my paragraphs above are gross oversimplifications of the relevant issues, I don't want this post to focus on the academic debate but on why this matters on the popular level. Why should the average Christian care about what seems like such a distant scholarly concern? Or, stated differently, why does classical theism (or its denial) matter in the day-to-day pursuit of Christ? 

There are more answers to this question than I can list here, but I want to cover a few in summary form. 

First, classical theism inspires our worship. In The Knowledge of the Holy A. W. Tozer wrote that what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. Our worship is a response to who God is and what He has done. Classical theism bears directly on the question of what we think about God, and thus on our response to who He is. Classical theism preserves God's greatness, His holiness, His justice, His love, without reducing them to a mere creaturely understanding of these words. Classical theism doesn't give us a complete understanding of God, in fact, it affirms we cannot attain that. But it still allows us to understand the truth about God in a way that inspires our worship with reverence and awe (Hebrews 12:28). This is especially the case when we consider how entirely holy God is in light of the fact the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). This is not to say theistic personalists cannot worship God, but the more creaturely we envision God the less of a mystery things like the Incarnation become. 

Second, many modern objections to the Christian faith simply don't exist given classical theism. One of the key mistakes the New Atheists made was critiquing a version of theism that for the majority of Christian history wasn't actually upheld by the Church. For a Cartesian dualist the problem of interaction becomes a significant challenge to belief in the soul. On classical theism, someone can raise the problem of interaction but it's pretty easily answered given a solid understanding of form/matter. Similar things can be said with respect to objections to the Trinity, where the distinction between essence and person becomes crucial. 

Third, classical theism has a certain consistency and comprehensiveness that is unrivaled by theistic personalism. This plays out on questions of ethics, the nature of reality, culture, and the meaning of life. What is the good life? How do we live it? Why should we bother even thinking about it? Again, it is not that theistic personalism cannot answer such questions, but that the answers end up necessarily disjointed and (at times) contradictory because theistic personalism lacks an integrated understanding of essential reality tested over millennia. Classical theism gives compelling answers to questions of abortion, sex and gender, the dignity of the person, and the value of the family. Theistic personalism is only raising those questions in reaction to the depravity of the culture around us. It's not that their answers are wrong, it's that we don't even know what the consensus answers will be on theistic personalism. 

We could go on, but I hope this is enough for people to consider the importance of the topic. Whatever one thinks of the debate between theistic personalists and classical theists, I hope we can all see the important nature of it. Nothing less than the essence of Christian theology and discipleship is at stake.