▁his ▁dis sert ation , ▁he ▁re lied ▁upon ▁a ▁multiple ▁argument ▁strategy , ▁commonly ▁called ▁a ▁cum ulative ▁case , ▁to ▁establish ▁the ▁rational ity ▁of ▁his ▁di - pol ar ▁the ism . ▁▁▁▁▁ ▁Hart sh or ne ▁accepts ▁that , ▁by ▁definition , ▁God ▁is ▁perfect . ▁However , ▁he ▁maintain s ▁that ▁classical ▁the ism , ▁be ▁it ▁Jewish , ▁Christian , ▁or ▁Muslim , ▁has ▁held ▁to ▁a ▁self - contr ad ict ory ▁notion ▁of ▁per fection . ▁He ▁arg ues ▁that ▁the ▁classical ▁concept ▁of ▁a ▁de ity ▁for ▁which ▁all ▁potential ities ▁are ▁actual ized ▁fails . ▁Hart sh or ne ▁pos ited ▁that ▁God ' s ▁existence ▁is ▁necessary ▁and ▁is ▁compatible ▁with ▁any ▁events ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁In ▁the ▁economy ▁of ▁his ▁argument ▁Hart sh or ne ▁has ▁attempted ▁to ▁break ▁a ▁perce ived ▁st alem ate ▁in ▁the ology ▁over ▁the ▁problem ▁of ▁evil ▁and ▁God ' s ▁om n ip ot ence . ▁For ▁Hart sh or ne , ▁per fection ▁means ▁that ▁God ▁cannot ▁be ▁sur pass ed ▁in ▁his ▁social ▁related ness ▁to ▁every ▁creature . ▁God ▁is ▁capable ▁of ▁sur pass ing ▁himself ▁by ▁growing ▁and ▁changing ▁in ▁his ▁knowledge ▁and ▁feeling ▁for ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁Hart sh or ne ▁acknowled ged ▁a ▁God ▁capable ▁of ▁change , ▁as ▁is ▁consistent ▁with ▁p ande ism , ▁but ▁early ▁on ▁he ▁specifically ▁rejected ▁both ▁de ism ▁and ▁p ande ism ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁pan ent he ism