Front door back door mutualism

Status
Not open for further replies.

alexanderjames

Puritan Board Sophomore
Listening to the Reformed Forum’s most recent podcast with Lane Tipton and Camden Bucey (host), Tipton uses the terms “front door” and “back door” mutualism to explain how there are dangers from both sides in some theologies for how God relates to His creation.

The episode is entitled ‘Exitus and Reditus in the Theology of Thomas Aquinas”.
(Yet another Thomas Aquinas related thread?!! *gasp* )

Admittedly much of what I’ve heard from Lane Tipton has gone over my head with all the theological terms I am still becoming acquainted with. However, I thought this discussion was particularly interesting especially given the current theological climate among popular reformed and more broadly evangelical scholarship.

Towards the end of the episode, Tipton critiques or rather highlights dangers among those who rightly oppose the more obvious forms of mutualism in various recent theologians, especially voluntarism, but nevertheless do not sufficiently guard against more subtle forms of mutualism.. namely here in the Roman Catholic schema of human participation in the divine relations to the violence of the Creator-creation distinction. Matthew Barrett is named as an example (in his new book ‘Reformation as Renewal’) by not adequately guarding against this “back door” mutualism in Thomas Aquinas.

Listen especially from around the 49 minute mark to the end -


I’m wondering if my fellow believers here agree with Tipton’s thesis, and if you have any further challenges or other thoughts on the subject.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top