Inspiring Philosophy Does God Have Limits? Two Philosophers Discuss (Dr. Joshua Sijuwade & Dr. Phillip Goff)
Mar 4, 2026
Dr. Phillip Goff, Durham philosopher known for defending panpsychism, and Dr. Joshua Sijuwade, University of Birmingham philosopher of religion and Eastern Orthodox thinker, debate whether Godâs powers might be limited and how that interacts with classical theism and theosis. They compare limited-power models to omnipotent views, weigh theodicy puzzles, discuss pre-existence and animal suffering, and explore whether deification can fit a constrained God.
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Middle Ground God Fits Fine Tuning And Evil
- Philip Goff argues a middle-ground God fits the evidence better than strict theism or atheism.
- He proposes a God of limited powers who created the best possible universe given constraints, explaining fine-tuning and suffering.
Classical Theism Links Omniscience To Omnipotence
- Joshua Sijuwade defends classical theism: God as maximally powerful, omniscient, creator and sustainer.
- He challenges coherence of limited power with omniscience and creatorship, arguing those jointly imply omnipotence.
Limited Powers Defined As Creation From Simplicity
- Philip clarifies his limited-power hypothesis: God can only create from simplicity (a singularity) and is constrained to certain physical structures.
- He treats these as primitive facts about God's powers, not external laws limiting God.
