Indeterminism is the philosophical belief that not all events are determined with absolute certainty. Specifically, indeterminism argues that some events occur randomly or by chance, such that the specific outcome is not pre-determined. This contrasts with determinism, which states that all events are the result of prior causes, leaving no room for chance.
The debate between determinism and indeterminism has significant implications for questions of free will, moral responsibility, and theology. If determinism is true, then human actions are the result of prior causes outside of one’s control, which seems to preclude the possibility of free will. Indeterminism, on the other hand, allows for the possibility that some human actions are not causally determined, opening the door for free will.
There are various types and degrees of indeterminism. Philosophers distinguish between metaphysical indeterminism – the basic state of events being undetermined – and epistemic indeterminism – where events may be determined at a fundamental level, but human knowledge is limited such that outcomes appear uncertain or probabilistic. Quantum mechanics has been interpreted as providing evidence for indeterminism in physics, though there is debate around what conclusions can be drawn about free will.
The Bible does not give an explicitly philosophical answer to the question of determinism versus indeterminism. However, there are verses which presuppose human free will and moral accountability, which seems more consistent with some form of indeterminism. At the same time, the Bible affirms God’s complete sovereignty over all things, which might point toward a qualified determinism. Christians have interpreted this tension in various ways.
Biblical Evidence for Human Free Will
There are many verses which presuppose that humans have the capacity for free will – the ability to make real choices between alternatives. A purely deterministic worldview struggles to make sense of these passages:
- Joshua 24:15 – “Choose this day whom you will serve…”
- Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, let us reason together…”
- Matthew 23:37 – “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”
- John 7:17 – “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:17 – “For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.”
- Philemon 1:14 – “But I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord.”
- Revelation 22:17 – “Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”
These verses portray humans making real choices between options, not just acting out predetermined scripts. This fits better with some notion of indeterminism.
Biblical Support for Moral Accountability
The Bible frequently holds people morally accountable for their actions. But determinism undermines robust moral responsibility. Indeterminism provides a better framework:
- Ezekiel 18:20 – “The soul who sins shall die.”
- Matthew 12:37 – “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
- Romans 2:6 – “[God] will render to each one according to his works.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”
Holding people accountable for their “words” and “works” fits better if humans can make genuine choices not causally determined by prior conditions. This leans toward indeterminism.
Evidence for God’s Sovereignty
At the same time, the Bible also teaches God’s absolute sovereignty over all things. He works all things according to his purposes:
- Psalm 115:3 – “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”
- Proverbs 16:33 – “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”
- Isaiah 46:10 – “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.”
- Daniel 4:35 – “He does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?””
- Acts 4:27-28 – “For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus…to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.”
- Ephesians 1:11 – “[God] works all things according to the counsel of his will.”
If God decisively governs all that happens, this might suggest a form of determinism, where free choices are part of his plan.
Different Perspectives on Divine Sovereignty and Human Freedom
Christians have interpreted the relationship between God’s sovereignty and human free will in various ways:
- Augustinian – God fully determines human choices and actions, but humans are still responsible because God ordains the will itself. Compatibilist determinism.
- Molinist – God knows via middle knowledge what humans would freely choose in all possible situations, and uses this to sovereignly direct affairs. God determines outcomes, not specific choices.
- Arminian – God limits his control to preserve meaningful free will. He knows the future exhaustively but does not determine it completely. More indeterministic.
- Open Theist – God leaves the future partly open and unsettled. Humans have libertarian free will to determine some outcomes. Stronger notion of indeterminism.
This diversity of perspectives shows Christians have wrestled to reconcile divine sovereignty and human freedom. There is no simple, agreed-upon approach. Indeterminism provides helpful resources for a robust doctrine of human freedom and accountability, though different models incorporate it in varying degrees.
God’s Omniscience and Foreknowledge
Related to God’s sovereignty is his omniscience – he knows and sees all things. Some verses on this attribute:
- 1 John 3:20 – “God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”
- Psalm 139:1-4 – “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.”
- Isaiah 46:10 – “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.”
An indeterministic world includes a degree of openness and uncertainty regarding future events. Some hold that this makes it difficult to affirm God’s exhaustive foreknowledge. Again, Christians have different perspectives here. Open theists argue God chooses to limit his foreknowledge to allow for libertarian freedom. Others hold God transcends time and space, so his foreknowledge does not conflict with aspects of indeterminism or human freedom.
Conclusion
In summary, while the Bible does not give an explicit philosophical answer, some form of indeterminism provides helpful resources for affirming both human free will and moral responsibility, as well as robust versions of God’s sovereignty and omniscience. Different Christian thinkers incorporate indeterminist components in varying degrees as part of their theology of divine providence.
There is mystery and tension in how God’s sovereignty and human freedom relate. But indeterminism allows affirming both, even if the specific metaphysics are complex. Christians can explore different perspectives on the mechanics of how God interacts with an indeterministic world. But indeterminism provides a helpful overall framework for making sense of the biblical witness.
