Intro

Question 1

How is God understood to Christian’s

Answer 1

God is often understood as being unavailable to our five senses because God is not physical

Question 2

If God is understood to Christian’s as unavaible to our five senses as God is not physical , then what is God ?

Answer 2

Beyond the realm of reason, sense and experience

Question 3

Who can be used to support the view of Christian’s that God can be known or understood as unavailable to our five senses because he is not physical

Answer 3

Bonaventura - Franciscan Monk 13th century

Question 4

Where did Bonaventura - Franciscan Monk 13th century consider the issue of understanding God

Answer 4

In his book ‘the minds road to God’

Question 5

What did Bonaventura - Franciscan Monk 13th century refer to in his boon to understand God

Answer 5

Analogy of the eye

Question 6

Bonaventura - Franciscan Monk 13th century

Through his eye analogy what are the 3 analogy and which one aligns with religion

Answer 6

1. ‘Eye of flesh’ : know through sense perception - empiricism of science and the physical world
2. ’eye of reason’ : knowning that helps us work out mathematical and philosophical truths
3. ’eye of contemplation’ : this is beyond the eye of reason and flesh, knowledge of God beyond senses and reason through faith

Question 7

Who was influenced by Bonaventura, and furthered on his theory

Answer 7

John Polikinghorne - Cambridge physicist and ordained Anglican bishop priest

Question 8

Why is John Polikinghorne - Cambridge physicist and ordained Anglican bishop priest very important ?

Answer 8

• No bias of faith vs religion
• he comes from both angles

Question 9

How was John Polikinghorne - Cambridge physicist and ordained Anglican bishop priest, influenced by Bonaventura metaphor of different eyes

Answer 9

He gives example of binocular vision

Question 10

John Polikinghorne - Cambridge physicist and ordained Anglican bishop priest , what is the binocular vision

Answer 10

When you look around , one eye is science - this is the physical world, laws and process
And the other eye is spiritual truths = purpose and context of creation in relation to God

Question 11

John Polikinghorne - Cambridge physicist and ordained Anglican bishop priest , states both eyes need to work together to give a complete picture ?

Answer 11

• Need both eyes to look through the binaoculars
• neee science eye and need the spiritual truth eye
• if you block one eye and look through just science then you’re blocking half of your Vision
• need both eyes to see real truth

Question 12

According to John Polikinghorne - Cambridge physicist and ordained Anglican bishop priest , what is it foolish for people to do and why do they need to be open minded to both visions?

Answer 12

• foolish for religious people to ignore scientific discoveries
• equally foolish for scientist to close eye to refuse to engage with the possibility of God