Irenaeus

Question 1

Irenaeus flow chart

Answer 1

God is all good creator

Development - universe developed (evolution)

Humans imperfect - made in image and grow in likeness

Soul making - natural evil helps us grow

Epistemic distance - try to have a relationship with God and shorten gap

Question 2

theodicy

Answer 2

an argument for the existence of God in the presence of evil

Question 3

opinion on freewill

Answer 3

Valuable
So were not robots, can choose wither good or evil
So god must sustain a world where moral/natural evil can occur

Question 4

How did god create humans and proof

Answer 4

Imperfect
so we can grow into his likeness
(imagio dei - genesis 1:27)

Question 5

How do we know God wants us to grow into his likeness

Answer 5

Jonah and the whale
even though he got eat by the whale he didn’t die
God allowed him to learn and grow closer to him so this must be what he wants for us too

Question 6

what’s recapitulation

Answer 6

• growing closer to God and into his likeness
• we must mature
• as adam and eve were immature

Question 7

according to Hick - which analogy is used to explain gods interference

Answer 7

Knife analogy

• knife is sharp and used to cut things
• if you turn it on yourself it will stab you
• if god intervenes and makes it soft then we know that as this isn’t humanly possible so the only person to do this is God
• this would meant god would have to constantly act in situations and he would be the cause of everything
• this forces us to recognise God and we would have no choice in the relationship
• loose free will and can’t grow in his likeness.

Question 8

Hicks explanation as to why we grow in Gods likeness

Answer 8

he says theres an evident contrast between good and evil

• god allows a world with evil so people can grow and shorten/lessen the epistemic distance
• god created this epistemic distance (gap of knowledge) that permits us to come to our own conclusions

Question 9

What did John Hick do?

Answer 9

mainly developed irenaeus theory and adds to it

Question 10

Main difference between Hick and Irenaueus

Answer 10

• Hick says we can go on soul making while in purgatory and we all receive salvation
• Irenaus - only some people will get to salvation, soul making continues in next life but those who reject god are damned.

Question 11

Analogy to describe growing in Gods likeness

Answer 11

Analogy of the arrow

If the arrow (us) is shot, it can’t get back to the archer (god) without the archers (god) help.

Question 12

Hicks theodicy

Answer 12

• Human image - imagio dei
• likeness - grow in likeness (choosing god and good)
• soul making - develop our virtues (charitable and kindness)
• natural disasters help us grow, for our good
• Eschatology - if we aren’t perfect before we die we will continue to grow in purgatory - salvation for all.

Question 13

CRITICISMS of hick

Answer 13

• plausibility - rejected augustine but people question if Hick can be believed
• Injustice - salvation for all doesn’t seem fair - even Hitler?
• existence of suffering - God is responsible for creating a world with natural evil - loving god?
• Ends justify the means - Flew - god could have found another way if he was omnipotent
• D.Z. Philips - holocaust example - no one can justify evil
• Swinburne - evil might be necessary to achieve higher virtues like justice. But its like god made a half - finished world.

Question 14

who was irenaeus

Answer 14

monk
preacher - then bishop
believed the garden of eden was a historical place

Question 15

where does he base beliefs on

Answer 15

gen 1;26

‘let us make mankind in our image and in our likness’