The Free Will Position in the Doctrine of Holy Spirit Indwelling in Alston’s Viewpoint

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
N.S. Radfar 1
A.A. Alizamani 2
1 Department of Islamic Philosophy, Faculty of Islamic Theology, Motahhari University, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Philosophy of Religues, Faculty of Islamic Theology, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
10.58209/jpt.4.2.109
Abstract
According to the doctrine of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, one of the basic functions of the Holy Spirit is to transform people into a new creation, which is necessary for salvation. On the other hand, man is an independent being who has the right to choose between happiness and misery. The serious issue is how a free man is placed in the course of divine inner guidance. In this study, Alston's sharing model can reasonably defend the position of authority. Based on this model, the Christian believer, in indwelling the Holy Spirit within himself, gets knowledge and awareness of what is good and feels that he wants to show a proper and appropriate reaction. This model plays an important role in all transformations of the Holy Spirit and simultaneously permits human free will.

Keywords

  1. 1. Bible
    2. Aristotle(1385), Nicomachean Ethics(Mohammad Hasan Lotfi Translate), Tarheno.[persian]
    3. Alston, William P.(1989), The indwelling of the Holy spirit in Divine Nature and Human Language: Essays in philosophical Theology, Cornell University Press.
    4. ……………………(1996). Belief, Acceptance and Religious Faith,l In Jordan Howard – Snyder (Eds). Faith, Freedom and Rationality. Roman and Little field Publishers.
    5. Kern, John (2016), The Indwelling of the Holy spirit and Human Intentionality: A Constractive Proposal, A bilene Christian University.
    6. Ray, Yeo (2014), , Towards a Model of indwelling: A conversation with Jona than Edwards and William Alston, Journal of Analytic Theology, California, V. 2
    7. Teilor, Richard (1392), Moral philosophy (Enshallah Rahmati translate), Sofia. [Persian]
  2. Alston WP (1989). Divine nature and human language: Essays in philosophical theology. New York: Cornell University Press. [Link] [DOI:10.7591/9781501733161]
  3. Alston WP (1996). Belief, acceptance and religious faith. In: Jordan J, Howard-Snyder D, editors. Faith, freedom and rationality. Lanham: Roman and Littlefield Publishers. p. 3-27. [Link]
  4. Aristotle (2006). Nicomachean Ethics. Lotfi Tabrizi MH, translator. Tehran: TARHE NO. [persian] [Link] [DOI:10.1093/oseo/instance.00258591]
  5. Edwards P, Borchert DM, Nagel T, Frankena W, Brent R, Nowell-Smith P, et al (2013). Moral philosophy. Rahmati E, translator. Tehran: Sofia. [Persian] [Link]
  6. Kern JR (2016). The indwelling of the holy spirit and human intentionality: A constructive proposal [dissertation]. Abilene: Abilene Christian University. [Link]
  7. Yeo RS (2014). Towards a model of indwelling: A conversation with Jonathan Edwards and William Alston. Journal of Analytic Theology. 2:210-237. [Link] [DOI:10.12978/jat.2014-1.170024240414a]
Philosophical Thought
Volume 4, Issue 2 - Serial Number 14
Spring 2024
Pages 109-122