In Section 1A, the CONCEPTS about "theistic action" are not new, but the
TERMS may be useful if they allow more precision during an explicit
discussion of these concepts. Here is a brief summary of the terms:
nature (the entire material universe) can be influenced by theistic
action [TA]: miraculous-appearing TA (miraTA) and normal-appearing TA
[naTA]
The initial "design and creation" TA [initial-TA] for the universe, plus
sustaining TA [sus-TA], produces theistic unguided matter in operation
[th-uMIO] with matter operating according to its designed characteristics.
Basically, this foundational TA (initial-TA + sus-TA, to produce
th-uMIO) keeps the history of nature going, while active TA (miraTA or
naTA) influences an event to produce one historical result instead of
another, by changing "what would have happened without the active TA" into
"what actually happens."
These are the main terms. Here is a more detailed description, from the
last part of paragraph 16:
"God is in constantly intimate interface with every particle in the
material universe, sustaining its matter/energy with the properties
(interactive forces, wave-particle duality,...) that produce a material
mode of operation; God also sustains a spiritual mode of operation that
can interact with the material mode to produce active TA in nature. There
is a concurrent operation of foundational TA (initial-TA actualized through
sus-TA) and active TA (naTA or miraTA) with a seamless connection between
the material and spiritual modes of operation." p16
What do you think about these TA-terms, and the TA-concepts (as they're
described in the medium- or long-overviews)?
Craig