J.G. Elliot (Author of My First Sonnets)

Derek Kreider rated a book really liked it Real Terror Network: Terrorism in Fact and Propaganda by Edward S. Herman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The examples and data are a bit dated, but it’s interesting to see how history as reported at the time and likely criticized as fringe by propagandists, turns out to be largely verified and common knowledge. But that’s all propagandists need. If they ...more
May 20, 2026 03:49PM · like · see review
Derek Kreider rated a book liked it Abundance by Ezra Klein	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 18, 2026 07:15AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Abundance by Ezra Klein. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Abundance by Ezra Klein <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Derek Kreider rated a book did not like it The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 18, 2026 01:55AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Derek Kreider rated a book liked it Laying Down the Sword: Why We Can't Ignore the Bible's Violent Verses by Philip Jenkins	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The felt like this book continually brought me to the edge where I thought it was going to push through to make some insightful points, but it ended up being introductory concepts and a lot of assertion without reinforcement. I may agree with many as ...more
May 16, 2026 06:50AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Laying Down the Sword by Philip Jenkins. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Laying Down the Sword by Philip Jenkins <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Derek Kreider rated a book liked it Thrawn (Star Wars: Thrawn, #1) by Timothy Zahn (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The book is amusing, but I’ve never been a big Star Wars fan. The story and characters always feel so fake. I never feel any emotional connection with the story or characters, and this book is no different. It’s just amusing junk food rather than com ...more
May 14, 2026 07:37AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Thrawn by Timothy Zahn. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Thrawn by Timothy Zahn <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Derek Kreider rated a book liked it The Irony of American History (Scribner Library of Contemporary Classics) by Reinhold Niebuhr	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dated and not very engaging. I really enjoyed the first 10-20% and I enjoyed the critique of power. Nevertheless, there were significant tinges of justifying empire as a lesser evil and elevating communism’s evil.
May 12, 2026 01:00PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Irony of American History by Reinhold Niebuhr. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Irony of American History by Reinhold Niebuhr <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Derek Kreider rated a book really liked it Human Freedom, Divine Knowledge, and Mere Molinism, Second Edition: A Biblical, Historical, Theological, and Philosophical Analysis by Timothy A. Stratton	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
First, I want to say that I appreciate the work Dr. Stratton does. My wife attended BIOLA's master's program and I got to sit in a number of classes with him, having several interactions. Since then, I've reached out to him several times and he's alw ...more
May 12, 2026 05:02AM · like · see review
Derek Kreider rated a book it was ok Authority (Southern Reach, #2) by Jeff Vandermeer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The first book was interesting but this book was a drag. I’m not intending to finish the series.
May 05, 2026 04:22AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Authority by Jeff Vandermeer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Authority by Jeff Vandermeer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Derek Kreider rated a book liked it Annihilation (Southern Reach, #1) by Jeff Vandermeer (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Interesting but way overhyped. Now that I’m on the second book I do think the first should get some credit for the writing style. The author really captured the character from whose perspective he was writing. Enjoyable book, not amazing.
May 04, 2026 02:44PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Derek Kreider rated a book it was amazing Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive, #4) by Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The last two books in the series were interesting but not captivating. It’s hard to keep up a solid pace in a fifty hour book. This book, however, felt like I was engaged the whole time. There were many twists and turns and also a lot of pieces that ...more
May 02, 2026 01:01PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

Derek Kreider rated a book really liked it

Real Terror Network: Terrorism in Fact and Propaganda
by Edward S. Herman

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The examples and data are a bit dated, but it’s interesting to see how history as reported at the time and likely criticized as fringe by propagandists, turns out to be largely verified and common knowledge. But that’s all propagandists need. If they ...more

Derek Kreider rated a book liked it

Abundance
by Ezra Klein

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Derek Kreider rated a book did not like it

The Spear Cuts Through Water
by Simon Jimenez (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Derek Kreider rated a book liked it

Laying Down the Sword: Why We Can't Ignore the Bible's Violent Verses
by Philip Jenkins

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The felt like this book continually brought me to the edge where I thought it was going to push through to make some insightful points, but it ended up being introductory concepts and a lot of assertion without reinforcement. I may agree with many as ...more

Derek Kreider rated a book liked it

Thrawn (Star Wars: Thrawn, #1)
by Timothy Zahn (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The book is amusing, but I’ve never been a big Star Wars fan. The story and characters always feel so fake. I never feel any emotional connection with the story or characters, and this book is no different. It’s just amusing junk food rather than com ...more

Derek Kreider rated a book liked it

The Irony of American History by Reinhold Niebuhr

The Irony of American History (Scribner Library of Contemporary Classics)
by Reinhold Niebuhr

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Dated and not very engaging. I really enjoyed the first 10-20% and I enjoyed the critique of power. Nevertheless, there were significant tinges of justifying empire as a lesser evil and elevating communism’s evil.

Derek Kreider rated a book really liked it

Human Freedom, Divine Knowledge, and Mere Molinism, Second Ed... by Timothy A. Stratton

Human Freedom, Divine Knowledge, and Mere Molinism, Second Edition: A Biblical, Historical, Theological, and Philosophical Analysis
by Timothy A. Stratton

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

First, I want to say that I appreciate the work Dr. Stratton does. My wife attended BIOLA's master's program and I got to sit in a number of classes with him, having several interactions. Since then, I've reached out to him several times and he's alw First, I want to say that I appreciate the work Dr. Stratton does. My wife attended BIOLA's master's program and I got to sit in a number of classes with him, having several interactions. Since then, I've reached out to him several times and he's always been gracious both in his responses and willingness to engage. It just so happens that I disagree with him on a host of in-house issues, including this one. However, his book was very well organized and engaging, so I am rating it based on the quality of the work, not my agreement.

1. The first issue I have is with the grounding for choice in general. Dr. Stratton repeatedly declares that no randomness is involved in libertarian choice (a common objection to LFW) because the grounding is the self. He even uses a quote by Reformed theologian WGT Shedd declaring that evil originates out of humanity ex nihilo. Choice emenates out of the self. But the big question is, then, what is the self (going back to the idea of infinite regress he addresses)? If in a given situation I will always choose X, then I am determined by who I am at that moment (circumstances, character, etc). But if my choice is a dice roll and I may choose from at least two choices or more, then I am not choosing from any stable self, but rather, what I choose determines who I then become. I can never ground choice in self, but my self springs forth from what I choose.

There are many troubling issues with this, the biggest of which seems to be that the good or bad one chooses is not grounded in any stable self, and that given another dice roll, they would have chosen another path. The damned and the sainted are only such because they just so happened to choose A when they would actually choose B given another roll of the dice.

2. However, it seems this problem is acknowledged - not outright, but in future arguments. By the end of the book it is argued that God knows what free choices people will make in any given situation. So person (A), given a particular situation (B) will make a particular choice (C). A+B=C. That seems extremely formulaic. It seems that given any situation, a person could make a plethora of choices. If a situation will always produce a particular choice, that means this person wouldn't have chosen otherwise - ever - which is indistinguishable from "couldn't." Because of who they are and the specific circumstances before them, their choice was locked in.

3. Number 2's problem is exponentially worse than it appears because God has no grounding for his knowledge. Dr. Stratton addresses this issue, but I don't think he really answers the problem. In my mind, the major issue isn't whether God knows counterfactuals, but how God knows what he does without any tie to reality. For example, I know counterfactuals like what would happen if I drop my coffee on the ground (mug will break, I will have to clean the carpet, etc) or if I don't, but that's because I understand the world that I'm living in and how gravity works and the basic properties of glass.

But how does God know counterfactuals if he doesn't even know what world he is in? For example, if you want to avoid determinism and you believe that given a situation there are actually at least two options available to a person, then as you stand in the check-out line deliberating over which candy to choose, how would God know which choice you'll make? World A where you choose Twix and World B where you choose Snickers are indistinguishable up to this moment of choice, so on what basis does God know which world he is in? Carrying that all the way back to the beginning of creation, every one of the practically infinite seed worlds God could have created would each themselves have a practically infinite branch of possibilities. So when God created the world he did, how did he know you would ever even exist from the beginning, let alone which candy you'd choose?

This is why Craig (and I assume Stratton) argues that God just so happens to know all true propositions. I think that is a pretty ad hoc argument, but it's at least an attempt to resolve the problem. It seems to me that all of God's attributes are grounded (God's love and other characteristics have eternally had an expression within the godhead), so it seems odd that his knowledge of truth is divorced from the expression of reason. For God to know what would happen to my coffee in a world where I dropped it makes sense given the laws and parameters God could envision for the world I was in. But for God to just so happen to know what world he is in right now without being tethered to anything (unlike the rest of his attributes) just doesn't fly for me.

4. A huge part of the attempt at resolution of the will for most, I believe, is a defense of the justice of God. It seems unjust for God to send people to hell if they are determined. However, if God knows what people will choose in a given circumstance, then God sets up the circumstances, this seems indistinguishable from determinism. That seems to be a theme I find with Molinism. It recognizes the grounding problem inherent to LFW positions, and the justice issues with determinism. But the Molinist solution is to incoherently embrace both. It says there’s grounding when a determinist attacks LFW by having people make a particular choice in a driven circumstance, but then declares that we could choose anything out of our indeterminate undefined selves when a libertarian smells the stench of determinism in the grounding. God may not play puppets, pulling the strings. But he sets up the dominos and knocks them down.

People go to hell because they were born in the wrong place and into the wrong family, because they would have chosen otherwise. But their eternal sacrifice is necessary so that the greatest number may be saved (presumably). I believe Craig has argued that it’s possible all the damned would be damned in every possible world, seemingly meaning that they were determined by their natures. I’m not sure what Stratton believes, but I fail to see how Molinism saves God’s justice.

I think the strongest argument Dr. Stratton has against more deterministic ideologies is the epistemic grounding problem determinists have. I think there are other ways to address this problem, but that's not really relevant here.

I think the book is a great one to read if you're interested in the issue of free will. While I would probably be identified as a determinist by others (though I nuance that very differently than most), I have a similarly strong aversion to the Calvinistic arrogance and the way God's nature is painted by them. Dr. Stratton is admirably looking for a third way to address the problems LFW often creates in relation to God's sovereignty as well as the problems determinism creates for God's nature and human meaning. I just so happen to disagree that Molinism resolves the major problems I have with LFW. ...more

Derek Kreider rated a book it was ok

Authority (Southern Reach, #2)
by Jeff Vandermeer (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The first book was interesting but this book was a drag. I’m not intending to finish the series.

Derek Kreider rated a book liked it

Annihilation (Southern Reach, #1)
by Jeff Vandermeer (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Interesting but way overhyped. Now that I’m on the second book I do think the first should get some credit for the writing style. The author really captured the character from whose perspective he was writing. Enjoyable book, not amazing.

Derek Kreider rated a book it was amazing

Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive, #4)
by Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads Author)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The last two books in the series were interesting but not captivating. It’s hard to keep up a solid pace in a fifty hour book. This book, however, felt like I was engaged the whole time. There were many twists and turns and also a lot of pieces that ...more

Derek’s Year In Books

J.G. Elliot’s Followers (16)

Derek’s Bookshelves

Derek’s Friends (48)

2026 Reading Challenge

J.G. Elliot

Goodreads Author

0 posts
J.G. Elliot's Blog

Combine Editions
J.G. Elliot’s books

Derek is Currently Reading

rss
Derek’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Abundance by Ezra Klein

See a Problem?

Preview — The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

See a Problem?

Preview — Laying Down the Sword by Philip Jenkins

See a Problem?

Preview — Thrawn by Timothy Zahn

See a Problem?

Preview — The Irony of American History by Reinhold Niebuhr

See a Problem?

Preview — Authority by Jeff Vandermeer

See a Problem?

Preview — Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

See a Problem?

Preview — Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

Derek’s Friend Comments

	My First Sonnets 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Simplicity 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The 80%: How Conservative Evangelicals Prove We're Moral Relativists 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

J.G. Elliot’s Followers (16)

J.G. Elliot

Goodreads Author

rssDerek’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Abundance by Ezra Klein

See a Problem?

Preview — The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

See a Problem?

Preview — Laying Down the Sword by Philip Jenkins

See a Problem?

Preview — Thrawn by Timothy Zahn

See a Problem?

Preview — The Irony of American History by Reinhold Niebuhr

See a Problem?

Preview — Authority by Jeff Vandermeer

See a Problem?

Preview — Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

See a Problem?

Preview — Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

rss
Derek’s Recent Updates