Slipping Through the Cracks
Are Some Lost Who Would Have Been Saved in Different Circumstances?
Foreword by David Baggett
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
Would a good God allow some people to be lost to hell due to the bad luck of their circumstances (such as never hearing the Christian gospel)? Do some who are lost "slip through the cracks" (i.e., they would have freely chosen to be saved if only God had placed them into different circumstances)? After surveying and responding to other significant objections within the so-called "soteriological problem of evil," this groundbreaking new work identifies the above as the most difficult soteriological challenge for Christian theism and explores it in great depth. Finding William Lane Craig's famous solution to this problem insightful but ultimately inadequate, the book proposes an alternative solution that upholds Christian exclusivism (the view that one must hear and respond to the gospel to be saved) and is both biblically consistent and philosophically plausible. It offers an intriguing possibility for how God might ensure that all people have an opportunity to be saved and that none who are lost slip through the cracks in a way that is inconsistent with God's goodness. Additionally, the book reveals how its response to this soteriological problem has much value for addressing key aspects of the broader problem of evil.
Zachary Breitenbach is Assistant Director of the apologetics ministry Room for Doubt and an adjunct professor at Lincoln Christian University in Lincoln, Illinois. He has been published in numerous philosophy and theology journals, including Philosophia Christi and the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society.
“Exceedingly difficult philosophical and theological issues deserve very careful explanations. Zach Breitenbach steers a very careful path through one of the thorniest of these issues, clearing a potential trail through the obstacle course of how Jesus Christ could be the only way to salvation. Being additionally sophisticated and exhibiting well-written clarity are side benefits. Very highly recommended.”
—Gary R. Habermas, Liberty University
“I am grateful for Breitenbach’s carefully reasoned analysis of Molinism, the unevangelized, and ‘the problem of the contingently lost.’ He presents important clarifications and arguments worthy of further engagement. Slipping Through the Cracks provides a model that is not only faithful to Scripture and rationally coherent but also stands out as a valuable contribution to the literature on an important perennial topic.”
—Paul Copan, author of True for You, But Not for Me
“Seamlessly interweaving academic precision and charitable sensitivity, Breitenbach offers a combination rarely found in substantive works dealing with weighty topics. Neither simplistic nor inaccessible, Slipping Through the Cracks should be required reading for anyone seeking to better understand the soteriological problem of evil.”
—T. J. Gentry, cofounder of Good Reasons Apologetics
“Zach Breitenbach has done the Christian, philosophical, apologetic, and theological community a wonderful service. Unafraid to tackle prohibitively difficult questions, the prodigiously gifted author has the expansive mind and requisite skill and aptitude to navigate their contours, often with penetrating profundity. Breitenbach’s original theodicy offered here is both extremely thoughtful and eminently worthy of careful consideration. . . . With lucid prose and crystal-clear explanations, he has written a wonderful book.”
—David Baggett, Houston Baptist University
“Dr. Breitenbach is a maestro, creating and conducting a sophisticated theological and philosophical symphony. He meticulously scrutinizes and adapts alternative works and themes to arrange a brilliant harmony of God’s classical attributes, Christian exclusivism, and the reality of the contingently lost. His composition deserves an attentive audience. He doesn’t allow much, if anything, to slip through the cracks.”
—Richard A. Knopp, Lincoln Christian University
“With clear language and critical insight, Zach Breitenbach offers a fresh theodicy in the form of reasoned proposal for addressing the theological topic of the contingently lost. He does not avoid the hard issues but offers a biblically faithful response to a variety of perspectives dealing with this philosophical issue. Breitenbach astutely works through a multitude of possible viewpoints and addresses topics like God's love, God's sovereignty, and the problem of those who may be considered contingently lost. This approach will no doubt encourage fresh discussion and raise new questions to pursue.”
—Leo Percer, John W. Rawlings School of Divinity
“Zach Breitenbach presents us here with a carefully argued treatment of one of the tougher questions arising for the Christian believer who thinks that some stripe or flavor of Molinism is the best model for reconciling divine sovereignty and human freedom. His summary and analysis of contemporary molinistic theories is worth the price of the book alone; his further work on how to be a Molinist and address the soteriological problems of evil is remarkable, providing a series of strong arguments for his model. Highly recommended!”
—Edward N. Martin, Liberty University
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