Attributes of God Flashcards
How does Boethius suggest God exists?
All time is present to God ‘simultaneously’.
God does not experience past, present or future but all time is present to God at the same time.
God therefore does not exist in time.
Swinburne’s view on omnipotence
God’s omnipotence means he can do everything but ‘everything’ does not refer to self-contradictory things.
Swinburne’s view on omnibenevolence
Argued that a timeless God would not be loving as he will be immutable.
What does Swinburne call God if he has ‘fixed intentions’?
‘a very lifeless thing’
Aquinas’ support of Boethius
He used the analogy that God is on top of a tall building watching everyone make free choices.
eg. a man may be walking towards a pot hole round the corner - God knows what this free choice will lead to.
Schleiermacher’s view on omniscience/ free will
God foresees what is going to happen without endangering our freedom.
‘Even the divine foreknowledge cannot endanger freedom’
He compares this knowledge to knowing the action of a friend.
Descartes’ view on omnipotence
God can do absolutely everything, even what is logically impossible.
God is able to contradict knowledge.
We should not assume that our imagination reaches as far as God’s power, not knowing God’s power is a flaw with human logic.
Weaknesses of Descartes
It makes no sense to say that God ‘could do’ the logically impossible – that statement is self-defeating. The statement undermines the concept it is making a claim about.
Quote on Peter Vardy’s view on omnipotence
‘God is limited by the universe he has chosen to create … his limitation does not, however, limit God’
Aquinas’ view on God’s omnipotence
God can do anything logically possible but if it logically impossible, then it cannot be done as it goes against God’s consistent nature.
How does the ‘omnipotence paradox’ question Aquinas?
Can God create a stone too heavy for even himself to lift?
A heavy stone is not something logically impossible, so it is possible for this to be true - Aquinas’ definition of omnipotence could be false.
Kenny’s view on omniscience/ time
The idea of an eternal God is ‘radically incoherent’ as it suggests he could not make links between events happening.
Stump and Kretzmann’s view on omniscience/ time
God has the power to change the past yet it would not matter to us as we have already experienced the past.
God can alter the course of the events.
What does eternal mean?
Timeless, existing outside of time with no beginning and end.
What does Isaiah say about the eternity of God?
[God] ‘who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy’
What book did Boethius write?
‘The consolation of philosophy’
In this, Lady Philosophy consoles him on the problem that an omnipotent, omniscient and omnipotent God could exists whilst humans still have free will.
Quote for Boethius’ view on the eternity of God?
‘the whole simultaneous and perfect possessions of unending life’
How does Augustine support Boethius?
Augustine responds to the question: ‘If God made the world at a particular point in time then what was God doing before this?’
He says God is separate from the time he creates, so there was no ‘before’ God.
How does Aquinas support Boethius?
He says when we speak of God, we are using analogical language.
We have no words to describe how God experiences time, it is not the reality for God.
Aquinas agrees with Boethius ‘eternity exists as a simultaneous whole and time does not’
What is presentism?
Only focuses on the present moment, the past has gone, future has not happened.
How did Anselm have a different view to presentism?
Aquinas believed that terms such as yesterday and last week are subjective to the person experiencing the moment.
For example, New Years is different in different places in the world and is therefore subjective.
What does Anselm believe about the relationship between God, time and space?
God is not just in time and space, but time and space is inside of God.
God is therefore not contained by time but is in control of time.
How does Anselm’s view about God, space and time show we can still have free will?
God sees the free choices we make and will do in the future.
What quote from Wolterstorff shows his support of Anselm?
God is ‘freed from the bondage of temporality’.
What are some general problems with the timeless view of God?
How could God be personal and act in creation? Eg. using Moses as a means to free the Israelites.
Love involves a two way process and ability to respond.
How can a timeless God respond to people’s prayers?
What is Swinburne’s view on the idea of God being timeless?
Swinburne argues that the notion of time being simultaneously present to God is incoherent - he says he ‘could not make much sense’ of this.
What is Paul Helm’s defence of the timeless view of God?
‘God, considered as timeless, cannot have temporal relations with any of his creation’
What is Maurice Wiles defence of the timeless view of God?
He argues that God does not literally act in the world as this would present a partisan God (a God who helps some and not others)
What is Aquinas’ defence of the timeless view of God?
He claims that prayers should not be a request.
What is a direct problem with Boethius’ view of God?
He ends up defining God that is intrinsically different from the God of classical theism (omni view of God)
What is the everlasting view of God?
God exists and will always exist without end, but time passes for God.
This supports the biblical view of God being present and active.
Who supports the everlasting view of God?
Swinburne
What is Woltersorff’s support of the everlasting view of God?
The only way to understand some of God’s actions in the bible is to see them as responses to free choice.
For example, the 10 plagues in response to human behavior.
What four things does the eternal view of God support?
Omniscience
Omnipotence
Immutability
Perfection
What two things does the eternal view of God question?
Omnibenevolence
Personal
What two things does the everlasting view of God support?
Omnibenevolence
Personal
What three things does the everlasting view of God question?
Omniscience
Immutability
Perfection
What is JL Mackie’s critique of Descartes’ view on omnipotence?
Argued that the idea of logical impossible is not a thing, this doesn’t exist.
What does Descartes’ view of God turn God in to?
An unpredictable God who is hard to have a relationship with - we do not know what he may do.
If God can do anything, such as prevent evil, they why doesn’t he?
Quote for Aquinas’ view on God’s omnipotence?
‘whatever involves a contradiction is not held by omnipotence’
How does Swinburne agree with Aquinas’ view on God’s omnipotence?
He says God can do ‘everything’ but we must understand what ‘everything’ includes.
Turning a square into a circle is not a ‘thing’, therefore God cannot do it.
What is Peter Vardy’s view on God’s self-imposed limitation?
God’s omnipotence and ability to act is limited.
He limits his own power so that the universe can suit free, rational beings.
God is still powerful as he is the one who limits his own power.
What is John Macquire’s view on God’s self-imposed limitation?
God is not constrained by logic, he chooses to limit his power out of love for humanity.
We speak of God’s power using analogy, God’s power is different form our own.
