God And The Human Situation Flashcards
John Calvin
Believe the human situation in relation to God was based on predestination
What is the doctrine of divine election
John Calvin focused one the idea that God alone determines who will be saved
Some people are destined for a relationship with God and some are not
What is double predestination?
God has elected some to be saved and other will not.
God acts on the lives of the chosen and not in the lives of those who have to been chosen.
What is the quote by Calvin on predestination?
“The eternal decree of God, by which he determined that he wished to make of every man”
What is the human situation?
It is the relationship between God and humanity
What are Aquinas’ 3 ways?
First way- unmoved mover
They unmoved mover is what people understand to be God.
Second way- uncaused cause
An uncaused cause is what people understand by God.
Third way-contingency and necessity
What does Augustine believe about the relationship between God and humanity?
Believed that the relationship began in a state of total perfection & this was corrupted by human action.
Humans used their free will to drive a wedge between God and the world.
Based on Genesis account of the fall.
What is the fall?
Adam and Eve live with God in paradise, but the serpent tempts them into eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which God forbade.
After doing so they become ashamed of their nakedness and God consequently expelled them from paradise.
What does Augustine believe evil is?
A privation/lack of goodness
Who does Augustine blame for evil?
Believes evil does not come from God but arises when Gods creations fail to live up to the standards God expects from them
Fallen angels- natural evil
Humans- moral evil
How did Irenaeus believe God created the world?
Imperfectly so that every imperfecr being could develop through a soul making process into a ‘child of God’ in Gods perfect likeness
What is an epistemic distance?
A distance of knowledge God created
Why did God give humans free will according to John Hick?
If God made us perfect then we would be like robots & love God automatically
God wants humans to be genuinely loving and therefore gives them free will
What did Peter Vardy mean - King and the peasant girl analogy
Explains Gods relationship between humans and himself. Like the King, God doesn’t want to force humans into a relationship with him. He wants it to be freely chosen to believe in God and built on faith.
