Knowledge of God Flashcards
What is general revelation
god can be known through reason and observation of the natural world
Innate knowledge of God (Paul’s speech to the Athenians)
- The unkown God: Paul’s speach to the Athenians convinces the people that they are actually worshipping the true God even though they’re not sure he exists. Desire to know the “unknown God” has been a constant quest of Greek philosphers
Innate knowledge of God (Universal consent argument)
1.Universal consent argument. Cicero, if so many people believe in God he must exist/ it is reasonable to believe so - universal human belief.
Innate knowledge of God (humans are religious beings)
3.Humans are religious beings: Catechism, wide spread practice of prayer and rituals.
Innate knowledge of God (John Calvin)
Sensus divinitas - a “seed of religion” which was the natural human inclination to carry out religious practices such as rituals and prayers
One argument for the innate sense is that human society has some form of religious practice.
The natural world
The world provides a point of contact between us and God, which reveals things about his nature
Point of contact: God’s revelation in the world which provides humans with the first step to knowing him as a redeemer
Principle of accommodation: God is an infinite being that finite humans can’t fully comprehend or know, so he reveals appearance to us more simply through nature. Doesn’t reveal his essence, but is a “sort of mirror” or reflection of his invisible nature.
Beauty and moral goodness - connection with God
Humans have an “openness to truth and beauty”
Catholics and protestants: Human sense of beauty and moral goodness are the foundations of knowledge of God
Natural Law: Catholicism states that all humans have an innate sense of right and wrong, small children quickly develop a sense of justice! Show’s God exists
Conscience: Calvin said this was a gift given by God which means “joint knowledge” between us and God about what is right and wrong, his way of guiding us.
Order and design (Aquinas, Paley, Calvin)
Clear signs and organisation and purpose that it is reasonable to infer that it must have a designer. As this designer must be greater than the universe it would be referred to as God.
Aquinas, in his five ways, argued for purpose
Paley used his watch analogy to argue for design
A God who set up the initial conditions of the world, sustains all material causes, orders these causes to be purposeful
Process teleology
God acts in tandem with the world and works alongside it
Unlike classic theology, God is not totally unknowable, but loves his creation and works with it - process theologians don’t make a sharp distinction between natural and revealed theology as every moment in creation God is revealing his participation in nature
Why we need faith over reason
Original sin has removed our ability to connect with God through conscience
We must regenerate ourselves through prayer and baptism
Catholics believe that the Fall did not cut us off completely from God, but made it harder for us, our sinful nature distracts us from now knowing God.
Faith
Unformed faith - can find intellectual reasons for a belief can’t believe it’s true
Formed faith - this is faith which wills to accept what it can believe through intellect
In Calvin’s protestant teaching faith is:
.Firm and certain knowledge - only possibly revealed knowledge by Christ
.Willingness to believe - faith “is given to anyone who is willing to accept it” It’s an emotional and spiritual experience of assurance.
faith (God’s grace)
You need God’s grace as well as faith to complete the relationship
Aquinas - faith can only be justified by grace through the holy spirit - the Catechism describes this as a moment of intimacy with God.
For Calvin the gift of the Holy Spirit is to aid a person’s faith, which will have been damaged after the Fall.
Revelation through Christ (Catholicism, Calvin)
.God’s revelation is through the trinity
. But even God’s revelation in Christ isn’t his true essence, just adapted to fit our finite minds - allows us to understand him emotionally and physically as a human
.Calvin describes Christ as the “mirror of the divine” - mirror because he mirrors qualities of love and mercy which we would otherwise not understand, and mediator because he brings people to believe in God.
. Catholics agree with Calvin, but think you need faith to interpret God’s revelation as Christ
Revelation through scripture
Christians see the Bible as God’s active and specific action in the world - this knowledge cannot be merely gained through experience, it also needs scripture to explain it
The words of the Bible are the speech of God
Catechism warns that faith should not be reduced to the bible - we need a personal encounter with God
Scholar’s view: reason or faith
Faith is volitional - it is a choice. Involves free will, you have to choose to believe in God
Faith is stronger than knowledge because of God’s grace - it’s a higher power than connects us with God, reason is a human function and doesn’t connect us to God
Reasons props up faith
Truths of faith = less certain than truths of reason - we can doubt our faith, but can’t doubt reason
Reason is proof
Have to accept “life everlasting” “resurrection” as there is not empirical evidence to prove it - you simply have to believe or have faith
