Episode 85: Petitionary Prayer and Free Will with Scott Davison
Oct 14, 2024
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Scott Davison, a philosophy professor at Moorhead State University, dives deep into the intriguing world of petitionary prayer. He explores its definition and the philosophical challenges it faces, particularly concerning divine free will. Davison shares his journey from libertarianism to an agnostic view on free will, influenced by scientific insights. The conversation also touches on how genuine responses to prayer can be understood, emphasizing intent and context while questioning the real impact of prayer on divine decisions.
Petitionary prayer requires not just utterance but a clear intent and recognition by the deity for meaningful responses.
The philosophical debate on divine free will complicates the understanding of petitionary prayer, questioning its significance in God's predetermined actions.
Deep dives
Understanding Petitionary Prayer
Petitionary prayer is a common practice in various religions, involving specific requests made to a deity. Unlike other forms of prayer, such as those of praise or confession, petitionary prayers focus on asking a deity to intervene in worldly affairs. The discussion emphasizes that these prayers require a clear understanding of the request and its significance, as merely uttering a prayer is not enough; the deity must recognize and act upon the request's intent. Examples illustrate that merely coincidental events occurring after a prayer cannot be deemed as answers to prayer, as the intent behind the request must play a crucial role in the response.
The Contrastive Reasons Account
The contrastive reasons account of prayer posits that for a petitionary prayer to be considered answered, God's desire to fulfill the request must be a fundamental part of the explanation for that action. This account challenges simplistic correlations, arguing that if a prayer is to be answered, the deity's desire must directly influence the outcome and cannot be purely coincidental. Cases are discussed to illustrate what constitutes an actual response to a prayer, compared to situations where a deity's action is independent of the request made. Ultimately, the account seeks to clarify how divine responses can be meaningfully tied to human requests without falling into randomness.
Divine Free Will Perspectives
Two main perspectives on divine free will are explored: the strong libertarian view and the sourcehood view. The strong libertarian perspective asserts that for divine actions to be free, God must have the ability to choose differently, introducing challenges related to the certainty of answered prayers. Conversely, the sourcehood view suggests that God could still act freely even when the circumstances dictate a particular response, raising questions about the meaning of petitionary prayer when God’s decisions seem predetermined. Each view presents unique philosophical puzzles regarding the nature of divine freedom and its implications for human prayers.
Challenges for Petitionary Prayer
The complexity of petitionary prayer is highlighted by dilemmas arising from the two views on divine free will. If God operates under the strong libertarian model, it raises the problem of luck in answering prayers, suggesting that the outcome may not be influenced by the prayer itself. On the other hand, if God's freedom does not require alternative possibilities, this might render the act of petitionary prayer seemingly pointless, as it implies God must answer the prayer if it aligns with the best outcome. These philosophical conundrums do not conclusively undermine belief in petitionary prayer but rather invite deeper consideration and exploration of its implications.
In this episode, we talk with Scott Davison about petitionary prayer. We begin with what petitionary prayer is, and then we discuss challenges to petitionary prayer from divine free will.