On Providence

Last updated on: April 17, 2017 at 5:34 am by Henry Karlson

On Providence 2017-04-17T05:34:42-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Ancient of Days by William Blake [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Providence is an important, albeit, difficult concept to explore. Because we are dealing with the way God, the simple, eternal unmoving mover, acts in relation to the temporal order, God’s providence will remain a paradoxical mystery to those of us whose only experience of it is in the temporal sphere. We can seek to understand it, and we will be able to grasp parts of it, but to comprehend it is beyond our ability. At best, we will have to engage it in a variety of ways, realizing each time, we will come to a new understanding, but non-comprehensive understanding which complements other such engagements, even though other engagements might appear to give contradictory results. The simpler the approach, the less subtle the exploration, the less we will gain, but there will still be truth to be had even from such approaches, truth which we must not reject, although we must not confuse the understanding we develop from our engagement with providence as representing the absolute truth of providence itself. This is how and why apparently contradictory claims can turn out to complement each other, for it is our comprehension of the truth, and not the truth itself, which leads to such contradictions.

Many, if not most, engage providence, fatalistically. God, they see, acts in a simple, straightforward manner, and so they say he provides one particular outcome as being the only right outcome for each person, turning providence into a thing of necessity. That is, God has one plan for each person to fulfill for themselves, a plan which if it is not fulfilled means the person not only has failed God, but they have failed themselves because they have not lived up to God’s intention for their lives. Likewise, this means that the choice we have in life is a simple choice, to accept and engage one particular calling in our lives, and by accepting that choice we receive the grace we need in order to fulfill it, or else risk losing the glory God intended for us in our lives, and if we divert ourselves too far from that intention, we risk eternal perdition.

Certainly, all of the above is one way to understand providence. It is not the only way. We can encounter providence as the way God sets the stage for human choice, allowing for a verity of possible outcomes, each of them good, although certainly some of them will be better than others. That is, instead of seeing God as planning one possibility for each person, God provides each person with a variety of possibilities; while he might know what will be chosen thanks to his eternal existence, he acts with us in time so that he creates the range of opportunities for us so that we are given true freedom, instead of being forced around to one conclusion like a rat in a maze. God’s providence can be seen as engaging us so that it provides us with a variety of ways by which we can cooperate with God’s grace. From our perspective, we do not need to see it as establishing only one possible end for each of us, but rather, God provides the means by which we can follow one of many paths to one of many possible conclusions for our lives. God’s providence sets up those ends with grace, so that in and through each of them, there is the opportunity for us to come to him and open up to him in love and so find that end as being one with our eternal union with him. God’s providence, far from being fatalistic, is the means by which he gives us our freedom. We do not have to believe there is only one plan for us, so that if early on in our lives, we fail to meet it the rest of our lives becomes moot. The same way that grace perfects nature, making sure a person is not a failure because of sin, is to be seen as the way providence opens up with God’s grace further opportunities, further pathways for a person to take if they do not take one which is being offered to them at a particular time or place, so that they can continue to find new ways to form themselves in relation to God.

Providence must be understood as the way God provides for his creation. It is through such providence God is said to govern his creation, as St. Bonaventure explained:

And because that will, governed by reason, is called providence, all things that happen in the universe are done and governed by divine providence, which is thoroughly beyond reprehension because it lays down no precept, no prohibition, no counsel, except according to justice; it does nothing except for good, it allows nothing contrary to justice.[1]

Theological Reflection

Previous Post

April 13, 2017

Paschal Reflection

Next Post

April 18, 2017 Be Humble, Remember Those Who Faced Greater Challenges Than Us

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz