God Flashcards
3 biblical quotes that show God’s omnipotence.
‘God created the heavens and the earth’
Genesis 1:1
‘…with God all things are possible’
Matthew 19:26
‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’
Revelations 22:13
When faced with the condundrum of, ‘can God create a rock he cannot lift’, what might someone say back?
God’s omnipotentence only stretches to things that are logically possible.
Some believe this is untrue and he can do anything, including the logically impossible.
What due process theologians say about God?
That God is not all powerful, that’s why evil exists.
What commandment reflects Christianity’s
monotheism?
‘You shall have no other gods before me’
Exodus 20:3
1st Commandment
What quote shows a different type of monotheism was in the OT?
‘Who is like thee, O Lord, among the gods?’
Exodus 15:11
Believed in one God, but an acceptance that other gods existed.
Isaiah 43:10
‘I am He, Before me no God was formed, nor shall there be any after me…’
Isaiah 43:10 (OT)
Deuteronomy 6:4
‘here O Israel: the Lord our God is one’
Deuteronomy 6:4
God is omnipotent, monotheistic, transcendent and unknowable, and what?
Controller of all things
What question does the idea of God being the controller of all things beg?
Does humanity have freedom of choice to make decisions or is it theologically determined?
If you are to talk about the transcendence and unknowability of God, what should you talk about?
Otto’s ’numinous’ experiences - an apprehension of the wholly other.
What is the idea of the holy?
Ninian Smart - a mystery which is awe-inspiring and fascinating points towards the Transcendent’.
John 10:30
‘The Father and I are one’
What is the greek word ‘perichoresis’, meaning rotation, used to describe?
The ‘mutual indwelling’ of the three persons of the trinity.
Matthew 28:19
‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’
What is the importance of the Trinity today?
Found in the salvation journey whereby Jesus, as human, came to earth - ‘Word made flesh’, ‘God with us’.
Holy Spirit lives within believers, empowering them to follow Christian teachings.
The Father is an image of Father and ultimate love.
How does the trinity enable humans to have a relationship with God?
God is viewed as transcendent, but the Holy Spirit draws upon the closeness of God, living in believers on earth.
God depicted as Father and/or King
Deuteronomy 32:6
‘Is he not your father, who created you…?’
Psalm 24:10
‘The Lord Almighty - he is the King of glory’
Apostles’ Creed
‘the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth’
‘Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord’
How is Jesus seen to be a king?
NT - Jesus as Messiah,
Messiah meaning anointed one, or king.
On the cross, Jesus was given the title King of the Jews.
What is the imagery of King and Father used for?
To draw attention to the varying aspects of the nature of God.
Such as his strength, power, authority, wisdom and love.
Who is often referred to as ‘God our Mother’?
Julian of Norwich
What does John 4:16 show?
Both God as Love and God as Personal
‘God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.’ John 4:16
How is God personal?
He has the characteristics of a person, a person can be defined as someone who is rational, conscious of his own being - this is how the Bible portrays God.
God is one which we can relate to.
What is agape love?
Agape love is a type of love that is selfless, unconditional and often universal.
It is often used to describe God’s love and grace.
Give some examples of God as personal, a person.
Personal names, such as Father.
God can love, which is a human feeling.
- He can feel sorry - John 11:35, Jesus wept.
God thinks, he has an intellect.
What is anthropomorphic language?
The use of human characteristic, emotions, intentions to describe a non-human entity.
Why may it be okay to use human characteristics to describe God and RE?
Because they are being used to describe the ineffable - it is an attempt to describe as that it all we have.
What is the problem with using anthropomorphic language to describe God?
It runs the risk of reducing God to human form, as Paul Helm stated in his book, Eternal God, ‘reductionism’.
It can lead to a limited understanding of God’s nature.
Where does process theology emerge from?
The work of Whitehead & Hartshorne, taken forward by the work of Griffin in his book, God, Power and Evil: A Process Theodicy.
What does process theology change about the classical theistic view of God?
He is a creator, who with humans, creates the next moment.
He is not omnipotent or omniscient.
He cannot intervene with human will, he does not know the next moment because of this.
He suffers with humanity, he is transcendent yet also in the centre of humanity - ‘fellow sufferer who understands’ Whitehead
