Knowledge of God Flashcards
What does the specification tell us we need to know?
-innate human sense of the divine
-order of creation
-Faith and God’s grace
-God in Jesus Christ
What is natural theology?
Knowing God through reason and observation.
What are examples of natural theology?
-cosmological argument
-teleological argument
-ontological argument
Who is the main philosopher in natural theology?
Calvin
What does ‘sensus divinitates’ mean?
Having the innate sense of the divine.
What does ‘semen religiones’ mean?
Seed of religion.
What does Calvin believe the Fall has done?
Impacted the God given points of contact limiting access.
What does Calvin believe would help develop a more meaningful understanding of God?
Revealed Theology
What are the 2 reasons Calvin says why atheist reject religion?
-reject the innate sense
-unable to connect with the ‘sensus divinitates’ due to the effects of the fall,sin widens the epistemic distance
Who influenced Calvin’s ideas?
St Paul-God’s existence is self-evident if we take into the points of contact around us.
What is the unknown God written in?
The Book Of Acts
Explain the story of ‘To an Unknown God’
-Paul goes to Athens
-He sees that they are worshipping false gods-Greek
-He sees one which says ‘To an Unknown God’
-Innate knowledge of true God
What does the Unknown God show?
Show the limitations of natural theology.
-Paul says they are ignorant which shows natural theology offers limited insight
-In the rest of the story he goes on to show the Gospels meaning to truly understand revealed theology is needed and learn about things they could not have known innately.
e.g Jesus,resurrection
What are quotes from ‘to an unknown God’?
‘now i am going to tell you about this unknown God’
What do Catholics believe about natural theology?
‘the desire for God is written in the human heart’
God desires a relationship with his creation and through natural theology this provides connection with god.
What is the principle of accommodation?
A benevolent God would accommodate to human beings he does this by communicating with us in ways we understand.
Who and what is the principle of universal consent?
CICERO-There is universal consent across all cultures that their is a divine being,natural to connect with divinity.
What do Christians say about points of contact?
Ability to recognise beauty in the world allows us to know God.
reflection of God’s benevolence.
What do Christians say about consciousness?
Feeling of guilt is innate evidence as God is a moral compass
What does Calvin say about consciousness?
Its a capacity given by God
What do Catholic Christians believe humans have?
They have the gift of rationality from God which makes us desire to do good.-AQUINAS,natural law
-God has given the tool
How does ST Paul’s letter support catholic Christians belief of rationality
‘Written on the human heart’
Humans have everything they need to build a relationship with God
Why do Catholics further believe we have a innate connection with God?
Because humans are made in God’s image suggesting God desires a relationship with his creation.
What does St Paul say about order and purpose relating to God?
People are ‘without excuse’ when choosing not to know God due to the points of contact
why does Calvin say the universe acts as a mirror?
It gives us a glimpse into who God is as he created him e.g skillfully ordered shows God’s omnipotence.
What can be said against Calvin’s point about the universe being a mirror?
The knowledge we gain is limited due to it being corrupted and sin has widened the epistemic distance.
-Only through Jesus mediator we can know truth
What does Aquinas say about purpose and order?
Reason allows us to reflect on the world around us e.g natural law,fine tuned design of the universe
Aquinas provided significant evidence through his five ways
What are 3 examples of points of contact?
-the universe
-purpose and order (Aquinas and Paley)
-the heart
Why does Calvin’s theology provide ambiguity?
He talks about 2 Gods
1)Transcendant and it accesible through the mirror of the universe
2)Immanent and personal,true knowledge only to be know through Jesus
What are 3 problems with Calvin’s theology?
-What impact has the fall truely had on our ability to know God
-How can God’s Grace be recognised if the points of contact have been damaged by the fall
-Do we need reason when understanding ‘sensus divinitates’ and ‘semen relgionious’/ is it God revealing himself
What did the criticisms of Calvin lead to?
Brunner and Barth’s debate
What was Barth’s stance and what was Brunner’s stance?
Barth-human nature is corrupted and so there are no points of contact
Brunner-Natural theology provides basic undertanding however we need Jesus
Who was Brunner influenced By?
Aquinas
What were the 3 points of contact Brunner started with?
-beauty of nature
-consciousness
-sensus divinitates
What did Brunner say Natural theology does?
Provides a basic understanding and a starting point.
What does Brunner say about knowing all knowledge of God
Full knowledge can only be gained through faith in Jesus and his redemption which can only be known through revelation
What did Brunner say natural theology did?
‘Begins the conversation’
What are Brunner’s belief on the Fall?
He accepts it but not on a drastic level,on a spiritual level we remain the pinnacle of God’s creation
What was Barth’s essay called?
‘Nien!’
How do people entirely criticise Barth?
He has allowed his own experiences of the rise of Nazism to cloud his theological views
Why does Barth believe that humans being corrupted by the fall doesn’t allow them to know God?
As there is no authoritative source of knowledge other than revelation.
What does Barth believe the only way to know God is?
Through God’s loving free choice GOD’S GRACE
What is Barth’s View on the Fall?
Humans have been corrupted on all levels and those recognise beauty in the world has already had something revealed to them
How can Barth be Countered?
Bible points point towards natural theology and he believed the bible was revealed by God
What is revealed theology?
The idea that God has deliberately chosen to give knowledge.
How does revealed theology relate to christianity?
The essential part of christian faith was revealed by God e.g trinity,revelation
Offers a personal relationship with God
What are two ways revelation can be understood?
(immediate revelation)Direct terms-God reveals himself directly
(mediate revelation)Indirect terms-God reveals himself via a source
What do Christians as a whole think about revealed theology?
It is necessary in gaining true knowledge of God
What does the Protestant Tradition say about revealed theology?
The fall has damaged human capacity (reason) so humans need God’s intervention to gain full knowledge.
What does the Catholic Tradition say about revealed theology?
Support that both natural and revealed theology are needed when knowing God.
Explain the Trinity.
-one God made of 3 persons
-the father (creator)
-the son (God made flesh)
-The holy spirit (active in the world)
What do Christians believe about Jesus?
That it was God ultimately revealing himself.
What can Jesus also be referred to as?
The mediator-connects humans with God
Why does the belief of Jesus support revealed theology?
It cannot be known through natural theology
What does the holy spirit do?
Inspires and Guides people and strengthens faith.
What do Christians believe when the holy spirit interacts with humans?
It’s a sign of God’s Grace
What is needed to enter into real intimacy with God?
God’s Grace
What is Faith?
-Goes beyond rationalism and empricism
-Leap that someone commits to that cannot be known through the senses
-involves trust and element of risk
What is Faith Gifted by?
The Holy spirit
What is Calvin’s belief of Faith?
-Accept Jesus as the redeemer and mediator
-Holy spirit aid damage caused by original sin
What is Calvin’s Quote on faith?
‘firm and certain knowledge of God’s benevolence to us’
What are Aquinas’s belief of reason and faith?
-faith works alongside reason
-if reason contradicts faith then what has been revealed has been misunderstood / empirical data has been interpreted wrong
-same source:God
What does Aquinas do?
Confirm God’s existence
What is the difference between unformed faith and formed faith?
Unformed=intellectual acceptance of christian teachings (doesn’t have to believe it’s true)
Formed=Full understanding and acceptance of Jesus as the ultimate revelation.
(requires discipline of prayer and reflection)
How does Dawkin’s challenge the Christian position that faith grounds reason?
He believes faith is filling in the gaps of big questions which will eventually be filled in by science.
‘faith is a great cop out’
Why is Jesus seen as the Greatest form of revelation?
Jesus is God incarnate
(God made flesh)
How do we know God’s Grace through Jesus?
Jesus sacrifice is evidence of God’s love for humanity.
Makes him the ultimate redeemer and mediator.
What are the two ways christians interpret the Bible?
-The word of God which is infallible
(without error)
-inspired text that must be interpreted.
How does the Bible support revealed theology?
Provides knowledge (jesus) which cannot be revealed by natural theology.
What do Catholics believe about the bible and Church?
Both have equal authority.
What do Catholic believe the role of the Church is?
Reinterpretation the message of the bible as their guided by the holy spirit.
Why do Catholics believe that Scripture is not the only way to know God?
Because religion is a living entity.
What do Catechism warn Christians about?
Not to reduce it down to the bible because it is the eternal world of the living God.
How do Catholic churches allow there to be access to God’s Grace?
The seven sacraments
Give 3 examples of the seven sacraments.
-Marriage
-Eucharist
-Baptism
What do Protestants believe about the church and bible?
-The church is there to point to the revelation
-The bible is central but not the only authoritative source
In Protestant tradition what is the bible also referred to as?
‘Prima Scriptura’
Protestants who believe the bible is the only authoritative source would refer to the bible as?
‘Sola scriptura’
What do protestants who believe that the bible is ‘sola scriptura’ think about the church?
The guidance of church is not needed.
What are 2 strengths of natural theology?
-reasonable due to the sheer number of people with faith that points of contact suggest there is a God.
-appreciation of wonder takes us beyond the physical world,point towards a God known through earthly.
What are 2 weaknesses of natural theology?
-consciounce can be explained through socialisation
-David Hume limits of inductive reasoning.
What are 2 strengths of revealed theology?
-Only God can reveal something as indescribable as himself (religious experience)
-Concept of God Grace shows humans should appreciate God is greater than them
What are 2 weaknesses of revealed theology?
-Could Suggest God is biased by revealing himself is certain circumstances
-It does not explain how what is revealed should be interpreted.
