AccScience Publishing / BIJP / Volume 15 / Issue 3 / DOI: 10.29228/beytulhikme.82452
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RESEARCH ARTICLE

A Neoclassical Approach Against Theological Determinism: C. Hartshorne’s Freedom-Based Conception of God

TUNCAY AKGÜN1
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1 Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli Üniversitesi, İlahiyat Fakültesi, Felsefe ve Din Bilimleri Bölümü 06500, Ankara, Türkiye
BIJP 2025, 15(3), 913–938; https://doi.org/10.29228/beytulhikme.82452
Received: 9 July 2025 | Published online: 27 September 2025
© 2025 by the Authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

One of Charles Hartshorne’s most original contributions to the philosophy of religion lies in his critique of theological determinism and his views on human freedom within the framework of neoclassical theism. Hartshorne's conception of God differs significantly from that of classical theism. According to Hartshorne, God demonstrates divine uniqueness by generously delegating the authority to make decisions to others. God does not desire to possess all power and control exclusively, nor does He wish to reduce human beings to powerless and will-less entities. On the contrary, such a desire would be a sign of weakness for God. Divine knowledge, in Hartshorne’s view, is not a kind of knowledge that determines what human beings will do in the future. Events in the universe are continually influenced by the processual nature of reality. This process is shaped not by God, but by human beings to whom God has willingly granted freedom. This article examines Charles Hartshorne’s critique of theological determinism within the framework of his neoclassical theism and evaluates the relationship between this critique and his understanding of human freedom. With Hartshorne’s conception of God at the center, the article will also occasionally refer to the classical theistic understanding of God in order to elucidate the philosophical foundations of a theological approach that makes room for genuine human free will.

Keywords
Philosophy of religion
Charles Hartshorne
theological determinism
divine will
human freedom.
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Beytulhikme An International Journal of Philosophy, Print ISSN: 1303-8303, Published by AccScience Publishing
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