What is Classical Theism?

I recently did a post on Open Theism, so here is Classical Theism (or Orthodoxy). Once again this is my understanding of it and feel free to correct or question it. This view has been the dominate view since the beginning of the church and perhaps before then. Some people track its roots back to Plato and other Greek philosophers. They came up with a bunch of propositions that they thought would be needed in order for God to be truly 'God'. This is also affirmed throughout church history as well; for example Calvinism and even Arminianism to a point affirms many of these.

- God is eternal.
- God is absolute.
- God is all knowing.
- God is all powerful.
- God is perfect.
- God is the cause of the universe, but he himself remains uncaused.
- God is unaffected by other beings.

God doesn't need us, but we need him. He is outside of time, and as such knows everything past, present and future. He is unchanging, thus prayer is not so much us appealing for him to change his mind or intervene in a situation - because he has already determined what will happen - so much as prayer is about changing us; prayer helps us understand what God is doing. He has the ability to do whatever he likes, whenever he likes because he has complete sovereignty over everything.

When this is put side by side with Open Theism it is easy to see the differences and tensions between them. I find myself more on this side of the fence as opposed to Open Theism, but I like dancing with people from all sorts of walks and am trying to constantly challenge classical theism. This way of understanding God can seem quite sterile and distant.

Cheers

Philip