---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: (1) each entity possesses a freedom and…"
description: "\"“(1) each entity possesses a freedom and causality of its own, which can resist the divine purpose, and (2) God’s loving character precludes his violat..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dae/dennis-jowers-110557_divine-purpose_1-each-entity-possesses-a-freedom-and-ca_833197.jpg"
---

#  (1) each entity possesses a freedom and causality of its…

![“(1) each entity possesses a freedom and causality of its own, which can resist the divine purpose, and (2) God’s loving character precludes his violating the freedom of particular things by determining what they will or will not do. God, in the view of process theists, acts only by persuasion.42…” quote by Dennis Jowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dae/dennis-jowers-110557_divine-purpose_1-each-entity-possesses-a-freedom-and-ca_833197.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dae/dennis-jowers-110557_divine-purpose_1-each-entity-possesses-a-freedom-and-ca_833197.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dae/dennis-jowers-110557_divine-purpose_1-each-entity-possesses-a-freedom-and-ca_833197.jpg)

> ““(1) each entity possesses a freedom and causality of its own, which can resist the divine purpose, and (2) God’s loving character precludes his violating the freedom of particular things by determining what they will or will not do. God, in the view of process theists, acts only by persuasion.42 Both””

Dennis Jowers

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Each entity has its own freedom and causality, and a loving God influences through persuasion, not coercion.

**In simple terms:** Divine love respects freedom, persuades gently.

Key Takeaway

Embrace free will, seek gentle guidance.

Themes

theology philosophy freedom divine love

Mood

philosophical theology

Type

Divine purpose:1 Freedom:1 Freedom Causality:1 Theists Acts:1 Determining God:1 Process Theists:1 Purpose God:1

When to use this quote

- determinism
- atheism

Key Concepts

process theology ethical persuasion

Questions to Reflect On

- reflective
- spiritual

A Different Perspective

How does persuasion differ from coercion in moral guidance?;What does true freedom mean to you?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Divine purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-purpose/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/)

## Related quotes

> [God's is the causality at the level of our being, and therefore the roots of our freedom. Ours in causality is determinative of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-george/god-s-is-the-causality-at-the-level-of-our-being-and-therefore-the/)

[Francis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-george/)

> [In all His acts God orders all things, whether good or evil, for the good of those who know Him and seek Him and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/in-all-his-acts-god-orders-all-things-whether-good-or-evil-for-the/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [What we most want to ask of our Maker is an unfolding of the divine purpose in putting human beings into conditions in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-we-most-want-to-ask-of-our-maker-is-an-unfolding-of-the-divine/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Release and detach from every person, every circumstance, every condition, and every situation that no longer serves a divine purpose in your life. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/release-and-detach-from-every-person-every-circumstance-every/)

[Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/)

> [“Our purpose as believers is to make impact wherever we find ourselves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/our-purpose-as-believers-is-to-make-impact-wherever-we-find-ourselves/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [In freely choosing to serve as the agents of divine purpose, angels are the living expression of the prayer 'Thy will be done.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-connolly/in-freely-choosing-to-serve-as-the-agents-of-divine-purpose-angels/)

David Connolly

> [There is a divine purpose behind everything - and therefore a divine presence in everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/there-is-a-divine-purpose-behind-everything-and-therefore-a-divine/)

[Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/)

> [Bacon not only despised the syllogism, but undervalued mathematics, presumably as insufficiently experimental. He was virulently hostile to Aristotle , but he thought very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/bacon-not-only-despised-the-syllogism-but-undervalued-mathematics/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [“Diversity of opinion in religious belief and its mode is not incompatible with equal possession of the essentials of pure faith, nor at variance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-daniel/diversity-of-opinion-in-religious-belief-and-its-mode-is-not/)

[John Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-daniel/)

> [God is in the sadness and the laughter, in the bitter and the sweet. There is a divine purpose behind everything and therefore a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/god-is-in-the-sadness-and-the-laughter-in-the-bitter-and-the-sweet/)

[Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/)

> [“Nothing that comes to me is void of divine purpose. In seeking to see the whole with God's eyes, we can find the peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliott/nothing-that-comes-to-me-is-void-of-divine-purpose-in-seeking-to-see/)

Elisabeth Elliott

> [You are here on earth for a divine purpose. It is not to be endlessly entertained or to be constantly in full pursuit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/you-are-here-on-earth-for-a-divine-purpose-it-is-not-to-be-endlessly/)

[Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/)

> [“The gods of the traditional world, with their supernatural powers, have been replaced by humans with bombs and shopping lists; the apocalypse has moved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barrett-gross/the-gods-of-the-traditional-world-with-their-supernatural-powers-have/)

Matthew Barrett Gross

> [...you're on this earth with a divine purpose: to rise to the level of your highest creative possibility, expressing all that you are intellectually,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/you-re-on-this-earth-with-a-divine-purpose-to-rise-to-the-level-of/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [“It may be difficult, but God will not allow a challenge to come into our lives unless He has a divine purpose for it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/it-may-be-difficult-but-god-will-not-allow-a-challenge-to-come-into/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

## More by Dennis Jowers

> [“Captain Smith,” Jackson thoughtfully responds, “my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-jowers/captain-smith-jackson-thoughtfully-responds-my-religious-belief/)

Dennis Jowers

Explore all 2 Dennis Jowers quotes

## More Divine purpose quotes

> [God is in the sadness and the laughter, in the bitter and the sweet. There is a divine purpose behind everything and therefore a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/god-is-in-the-sadness-and-the-laughter-in-the-bitter-and-the-sweet/)

[Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/)

> [What we most want to ask of our Maker is an unfolding of the divine purpose in putting human beings into conditions in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-we-most-want-to-ask-of-our-maker-is-an-unfolding-of-the-divine/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [...you're on this earth with a divine purpose: to rise to the level of your highest creative possibility, expressing all that you are intellectually,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/you-re-on-this-earth-with-a-divine-purpose-to-rise-to-the-level-of/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [“The gods of the traditional world, with their supernatural powers, have been replaced by humans with bombs and shopping lists; the apocalypse has moved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-barrett-gross/the-gods-of-the-traditional-world-with-their-supernatural-powers-have/)

Matthew Barrett Gross

> [You are here on earth for a divine purpose. It is not to be endlessly entertained or to be constantly in full pursuit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/you-are-here-on-earth-for-a-divine-purpose-it-is-not-to-be-endlessly/)

[Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/)

> [“Nothing that comes to me is void of divine purpose. In seeking to see the whole with God's eyes, we can find the peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-elliott/nothing-that-comes-to-me-is-void-of-divine-purpose-in-seeking-to-see/)

Elisabeth Elliott

> [“It may be difficult, but God will not allow a challenge to come into our lives unless He has a divine purpose for it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/it-may-be-difficult-but-god-will-not-allow-a-challenge-to-come-into/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [“Diversity of opinion in religious belief and its mode is not incompatible with equal possession of the essentials of pure faith, nor at variance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-daniel/diversity-of-opinion-in-religious-belief-and-its-mode-is-not/)

[John Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-daniel/)

> [Bacon not only despised the syllogism, but undervalued mathematics, presumably as insufficiently experimental. He was virulently hostile to Aristotle , but he thought very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/bacon-not-only-despised-the-syllogism-but-undervalued-mathematics/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [There is a divine purpose behind everything - and therefore a divine presence in everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/there-is-a-divine-purpose-behind-everything-and-therefore-a-divine/)

[Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/)

> [In freely choosing to serve as the agents of divine purpose, angels are the living expression of the prayer 'Thy will be done.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-connolly/in-freely-choosing-to-serve-as-the-agents-of-divine-purpose-angels/)

David Connolly

> [“Our purpose as believers is to make impact wherever we find ourselves”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/our-purpose-as-believers-is-to-make-impact-wherever-we-find-ourselves/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [Release and detach from every person, every circumstance, every condition, and every situation that no longer serves a divine purpose in your life. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/release-and-detach-from-every-person-every-circumstance-every/)

[Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/)

> [“as modernism sees it, the human body is nothing more than matter, to be molded, manipulated, and used. Devoid of divine purpose or meaning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-stimpson/as-modernism-sees-it-the-human-body-is-nothing-more-than-matter-to-be/)

Emily Stimpson

> [“Magic is that paganistic reversal of the process of religion, in which man, instead of letting himself be used by God for the divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geerhardus-vos/magic-is-that-paganistic-reversal-of-the-process-of-religion-in-which/)

[Geerhardus Vos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geerhardus-vos/)

[Browse all 74 Divine purpose quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-purpose/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“(1) each entity possesses a freedom and causality of its own, which can resist the divine purpose, and (2) God’s loving character precludes his violating the freedom of particular things by determining what they will or will not do. God, in the view of process theists, acts only by persuasion.42 Both”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dennis Jowers"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-jowers/1-each-entity-possesses-a-freedom-and-causality-of-its-own-which-can/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Divine purpose"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-jowers/1-each-entity-possesses-a-freedom-and-causality-of-its-own-which-can/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dae/dennis-jowers-110557_divine-purpose_1-each-entity-possesses-a-freedom-and-ca_833197.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dae/dennis-jowers-110557_divine-purpose_1-each-entity-possesses-a-freedom-and-ca_833197.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dae/dennis-jowers-110557_divine-purpose_1-each-entity-possesses-a-freedom-and-ca_833197.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“(1) each entity possesses a freedom and causality of its own, which can resist the divine purpose, and (2)…” — Dennis Jowers",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Dennis Jowers",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-jowers/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“(1) each entity possesses a freedom...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-jowers/1-each-entity-possesses-a-freedom-and-causality-of-its-own-which-can/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-jowers/1-each-entity-possesses-a-freedom-and-causality-of-its-own-which-can/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
