✓ The Elastic Hiddenness Defense

The doctrine of Divine Hiddenness poses a challenge to Christian belief, prompting questions about God’s presence to sincere seekers. Christian responses often evade direct confrontation with skepticism, forming a taxonomy of evasive strategies that protect belief from scrutiny. These include framing God as unknowable, attributing fault to seekers, using scripture as evidence, romanticizing nature, presenting faith as a test, making emotional appeals, and redefining standards of truth. Ultimately, these tactics insulate believers from acknowledging God’s potential absence.