A History of Christian Theology Episode 185: Jordan Steffaniak- "Classical Theism"
32 snips
Dec 22, 2025 
Jordan Steffaniak, author, publisher, and London Lyceum host, outlines what 'classical theism' means and where the label comes from. He sketches its four core traits and contrasts them with modern 'omni' talk. Conversations cover impassibility, the relation of those traits to the incarnation, and how philosophy clarifies theological claims.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Four Pillars That Define Classical Theism
- Classical theism names a family of historic Christian views emphasizing God's impassibility, simplicity, immutability, and timeless eternity.
- Jordan Steffaniak frames these four traits as the distinctive core beyond common '3-0' attributes like omniscience and omnipotence, aiding pedagogy.
Thesis Defense Moment That Sparked Clarity
- Jordan recounts defending a THM thesis and being asked to define classical theism on the spot, realizing he hadn't clearly articulated it.
- The story illustrates how the term often functions as a 'you know it when you see it' label before precise definition.
Why Use A Modern Label For Ancient Beliefs
- The label classical theism is modern and sometimes pejorative, but useful as a heuristic for doctrines common before the 1700s–1800s.
- Steffaniak defends using the term as a 'big tent' shorthand without erasing historical diversity.
