Knowledge of God Flashcards

1
Q

Natural Theology

A

God can be known through reason and observation of the natural world

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2
Q

What does Natural Theology rely on

A

Finding a point of contact between god and humans and using our reason to find out ideas of god from it

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3
Q

What does the Catholic Church say about natural theology

A

It celebrates humans intellectual ability to find out about god

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4
Q

What does the catechism of the Catholic Church say about natural theology

A

Humans are made in the image of god so have an inbuilt capacity and desire to know god

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5
Q

What does Sensus divinitatis and semen religionis mean

A

sense of divinity and seed of religion

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6
Q

What does the protestant tradition say about natural theology

A

sensus divinitas and semen religions express that humans have a sense within that gives them knowledge of god and they have innate basics of human religion with a human inclination to pray

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7
Q

Aesthetic argument in natural theology

A

Humans have an innate appreciation for beauty or sights sounds and tastes, some believe this gives evidence of a god who has appreciation for these things

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8
Q

How does the aesthetic argument work for christians

A

Humans can recognise beauty goodness and truth and have a conscience, this is all in the humans spiritual soul which has its origin in god so allows humans to know god on a more personal level

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9
Q

What did Calvin view about the conscience

A

He also saw it as a important point of contact between humans and god that can help understand god

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10
Q

What was Calvins example to describe how the world had elements of god in

A

A mirror that reflects the values in heaven that god holds: divine goodness, wisdom, justice,power

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11
Q

Why did Calvin believe humans couldn’t always access their innate senses

A

Because of the fall of man which created an epistemic gap between god and humans

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12
Q

What do catholics believe about the epistemic distance

A

Not because of the fall but because of the different nature of god and humans, and how much of himself god choose to reveal to humans

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13
Q

Who believed the mind had three different ways of knowing and portrayed this with the analogy of the eye

A

Bonaventura

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14
Q

What were bonaventuras three eyes

A

Flesh - Empiricism gaining knowledge about the physical world

Reason - use of logic to figure mathematical and philosophical truths

Contemplation - Use of faith going beyond sense and reason to know god

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15
Q

John Polkingthorne support of natural theology

A

Had two eyes one for science and the physical world and the other for viewing the world in the context of gods creation and his spiritual truths. Both eyes must work in unison

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16
Q

Who was the Roman philosopher who also supported natural theology

A

Cicero

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17
Q

Which two design arguments support natural theology

A

Paley’s watch analogy and Aquinas fifth way

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18
Q

How does Swinburne support natural theology

A

He recognises that the universe is prone to regularity and order so must infer a designer or god

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19
Q

How does Bible Paul support natural theology

A

demonstrates use of logic in natural theology when debating with jewish leaders by highlighting similarities between Jesus and the judaic messiah

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20
Q

What are Humes three criticisms of natural theology

A
  • Analogy of the watch is not comparable to the universe, better using an orange but this has no designer
  • Epicurean hypothesis infinite universe over infinite time will develop patterns of order
  • Fallacy of composition just because some things in the world have a cause doesn’t mean the whole universe has a cause (god)
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21
Q

Reasons why god can be known through reason alone

A
  • If god created humans it would make sense he would provide a way for humans to discover and know him, this is reason.
  • Cicero had the universal consent argument that so many people believe in gods that it must be an innate part of humans
  • Reason is needed to make faith claims more meaningful as some faith is just human imagination
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22
Q

Reasons why god cannot be known through reason alone

A
  • reason is an intellectual exercise that not all people have so not all can understand god
  • God is by definition ineffable so it would be anthropomorphising to try understand or know him
  • Humans are sinful and can’t know god due to the fall
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23
Q

Revealed Theology

A

God chooses parts of his knowledge to give directly to people in scripture

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24
Q

Why do protestants believe revealed theology is needed

A

because humans are fallen creatures so need his intervention to fully know god

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25
Q

Why do catholics believe revealed theology is needed

A

Huge difference between god and humanity, god chooses not to reveal all of himself

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26
Q

Revelation

A

God delibarety showing aspects of himself to the world

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27
Q

Faith

A

A belief in something that evidence can’t support

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28
Q

How is faith strengthened in christianity

A

Engagement with the life of the church so praying worshiping studying

29
Q

Where does christianity locate true faith

A

In knowledge of Jesus and the Holy Spirit as these are revealed by god as a gift, and by Christinas accepting Jesus and the Holy Spirit they can improve their knowledge of god

30
Q

What does the protestant tradition believe about grace

A

Humans are fallen so don’t deserve anything without gods grace, gods grace sent Jesus to earth and allows christians to be forgiven, this is revelation and allowed christians to become closer to god by accepting grace

31
Q

Reasons why god can be known through faith alone

A
  • Engaging with god isnt just academic but a spiritual and emotional task
  • A god who is beyond earths understanding can only be understood with faith
32
Q

Reasons why god can’t be known through faith alone

A
  • Atheists reject faith as a projection of human imagination
  • Faith without support of reason can lead t belief in anything
  • God allows all humans to be rational but only some to have faith
  • Faith needs reason first to build upon
33
Q

How does Kierkegaard support revealed theology

A

Abraham rejected the rules of his day and sacrificed his son, this was him placing his faith in god over his reason

34
Q

How does Augustine support revealed Theology

A

Original sin prevented people from knowing god as they were corrupt, could only know god through his help

35
Q

How does Dawkins criticise revealed theology

A

Faith encourages lazy thinking as people just say there is a gap in human knowledge and that it is mystery with no evidence necessary

36
Q

How does revealed theology struggle with distinguishing truth claims

A

People have no way of judging a truth or false belief then people may claim different things about god

37
Q

How does Fidesim challenge revealed theology

A

fideism is putting faith prior or ahead of reason, there is no means of testing truth

38
Q

What did the first Vatican council do with fideism

A

oulawed it instead preferring a position between revealed and natural theology

39
Q

Where were Barth and Brunner from and what religion

A

Both Swiss theologians in the calvinist protestant tradition

40
Q

Why did Barth reject natural theology

A

he lived in the Nazi era and saw the horrors of what human reason could achieve

41
Q

Why did Brunner support natural theology

A

He was inspired by Aquinas’ thinking and the idea of the use of human reason

42
Q

What was Barths essay called

A

Nein

43
Q

Brunners Argument step by step

A
  • God can be known in the world through points of contact give basic understanding
  • This isnt enough as full knowledge requires accepting Jesus and having faith in revelation
44
Q

three examples of points of contact

A
  • beauty of nature
  • conscience
  • sensus divinitatis
45
Q

What is Brunner’s conclusion about natural theology

A

It exists to give us the ability to begin our knowledge of god but not a full knowledge

46
Q

What is Brunner’s view on the fall

A

We are fallen and sinful but we are also still the pinnacle of gods creation so can have a relationship with him, through points of contact and then faith in Jesus

47
Q

What does Barth say god is

A

Radically Other

48
Q

Why does Barth argue it is impossible to understand god

A

Human nature is completely corrupted by the fall and humans are so different from god in every way it is impossible for humans to understand god

49
Q

What does Barth propose is the only way to understand god

A

through what god chooses to reveal to us with his grace

50
Q

How does Barth argue that human language is limited

A

Human language can only describe human experiences so can’t be used to apply to god as they do him an injustice
–> Aquinas Analogies

51
Q

Explain how religion is a human construct

A

It can’t in itself get to god, it needs gods interaction and revelation to reach god, the bible is only gods word if god allows it to be

52
Q

Reasons why Barth is more convincing

A
  • Bible is clear that the fall decimated the relationship
  • ciceros universal consent argument is wrong because reason is flawed as everyone interprets god differently
  • Human nature is flawed so it would be wrong to suggest humans should attempt a relationship with a perfect god
53
Q

reasons why Brunner is more convincing

A
  • No christians believe natural theology alone is enough
  • The fall isnt as significant as Barth suggests, catholicism focuses more on epistemic gap which can be corrected with reason
  • Gods nature isnt knowable anyway, this isnt a product of the fall
54
Q

What is Calvins principle of accommodation

A

God is beyond our knowledge but he accommodates his infinity to appear in a way humans can understand

55
Q

What is the Bible story of the unknown god

A

In Athens Paul encountered the altar of an unknown god and when speaking to the greek philosophers he told them that this god is actually the same as the christian god

56
Q

How does Calvin use the Unknown God story

A

Illustrates that sensus divinitinas lead Athenians to worship this god but more work in revelation was needed to find the Christian god

57
Q

Reasons why natural and revealed knowledge are the same

A
  • You can’t have natural knowledge without revealed knowledge first
  • proving god exists is simply recognising a previously revealed truth
  • Requires multiple different approaches not just two
58
Q

Reasons why natural and revealed knowledge aren’t the same

A
  • They operate differently as in order to find god in natural theology one must put aside revealed theology to see the world more objectively
  • Nobody becomes a believer through purely natural theology so they act separately
  • Natural knowledge must be separate as according to the fall it is impossible
59
Q

What are the three ways christ life can be understood as revelation

A

Incarnation - he comes the sole mediator between god and humans
Life and ministry - Jesus revealed a new way of life
Death and resurrection - this was the salvation christ offered by taking on the sins of humanity

60
Q

What is the liberal bible view

A

That it isnt authoritative because of the scientific contradictions

61
Q

what is the fundamental bible view

A

word of god containing fundamental truths

62
Q

what is the conservative bible view

A

written by divinely inspired humans coloured with their own experiences

63
Q

What did Calvin believe the bible to be required for

A

To understand gods work on earth as it contains all his work aswell as Jesus’, thus it is the ultimate revelation.

64
Q

What is the function of the church for Calvin

A

It is the result of the coming of the mediator so its function is to refer back to Jesus

65
Q

What is the function of the church for catholics

A

Helps Christians understand the bible and realise the full revelation of god, allows people to access gods grace with the sacraments which combines natural and revealed theology

66
Q

What does the Catholic Church view about the bible

A

It is the breath of the holy spirit with god as the author, but it isnt all catholicism is

67
Q

Reasons why belief in god is enough to put trust in him

A
  • belief in god requires a leap of faith which requires trust
  • Points of contact should lead to faith because a truth about god has been recognised
  • Doesn’t matter whether belief is intellectual or not it should always be a commitment
68
Q

Reasons why belief in god is not enough to put trust in him

A
  • Belief in god needs proper understanding only achieved through understanding of Jesus taught by the church
  • Belief in god gained through natural theology alone isnt a personal trusting relationship
  • Belief in god doesn’t make christian life easy as their are many challenges in the world that will make a christian doubt whether they can trust god