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Christian theology > knowledge of God existence > Flashcards

knowledge of God existence Flashcards

1
Q

what is natural theology

A

Provides arguments for the existence of God based on reason and ordinary experience of nature.

Assumes that god is the creator of the universe and humans are conscious elements of that universe

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2
Q

Revealed THEOLOGY

special knoweldge

A

Based on what has been revealed to us.
These comes from scripture/ religious experience.

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3
Q

reason

A

the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgment logically.

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4
Q

arguments to support natural revelation

A

ST. PAUL
- There is one supreme God known through reason who is the ground of all that exists.
- Through reasoning can discern this God is powerful as he can create the world

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5
Q

St Jerome
(GOODNESS as natural knowledge of God)

SCINTILLA CONSCIENTA (his book)

A

We have a natural tendency to do good/avoid evil through moral law. therefore, we know that there must be a law giver. Its our duty to fulfil moral law in order to have an inbuilt knowledge of Gods existence

he calls this the ‘SPARK OF CONSCIENCE’

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6
Q

JOSPEH BUTLER

A

Conscience was our God given ability to use reason well in order to reach a moral decision.

God’s existence is obvious and it is only human sin that clouds understanding

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7
Q

Joseph butler quote

A

“conscience is our natural guide. Therefore belongs to our conditions of being. its our duty to walk in this path and follow”

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8
Q

Cardinal Newman

A
  • He calls conscience the word of God.
  • We should consider conscience as our ultimate authority
  • A person who goes against his conscience of better judgment is considered to be weak
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9
Q

Revelation

A

an act of revealing or communicating divine truth.

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10
Q

Beauty As Natural knowledge

A

Beauty and nature comes from God. (the universe is reflection of God - beauty & orderliness)

As God is not nature itself, it STILL means we can learn something about God.

Anyone who reflects on the natural world and its beauty and order should be able to understand the existence and character of God.

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11
Q

QUOTE for Beauty

A

“The human person with his openness to truth and beauty” CCC

r

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12
Q

(more on beauty)
Augustine

A

He states all things on earth are a sign of God’s existence - there’s an ultimate source of beauty

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13
Q

Revealed KNOWLEDGE.

special knowlgde

A
  • very specific =shown to certain people/time e.g. trough religious experience
  • tells us rules (10 C/ Sabbath day)
  • it is confirmed natural theology but uncovered further truths - so not through reason alone.

Christians believe teachings of faith have been given to them by God as revelation.

Does not rely on people having intellectual gifts, but it is available though faith.
links to initution - meta ethics
-uncovers truth that you can gain simple reason
(E.G. trinity, truth of Jesus)

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14
Q

(I) mmediate revelation

A

where someone is given direct knowledge of God

  • Prophets receive immediate revelation of God, given the exact words to speak to listeners.
    (E.G, Adam& Eve, Abraham received immediate revelation)
  • Everyone who has met Jesus coincidentally the Apostle gets authority from God.
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15
Q

Mediate Revelation

A

(indirectly.)

where someone gains knowledge of God in a secondary, non-direct way.

(E.G,) through someone who had immediate revelation, the Bible.

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16
Q

Is the Bible immediate or Mediate

A

Depends on the Christian
Most will say its mediate as its the words of those who had revealed revelations which is read by others.

others will say it immediate because the words are directly from god - its more of an opinion.

17
Q

Revelation through faith and Grace

A

GRACE: Gods unconditional & underserved gifts.

  • In Christian belief, humans’ sinful nature and limited understanding mean that natural theology alone cannot provide complete knowledge of God.
  • Revelation through faith and God’s grace offers a fuller understanding of God, in opposition to reason.
  • Unlike opinion, faith entails a certain and solid commitment without elements of doubt, according to Aquinas.
  • While some may view faith as a barrier to knowledge, Christianity sees it as a virtue and believes faith and reason can work together.
  • The gospel of John highlights the relationship between faith and knowledge, portraying Jesus as a revealer of secret knowledge and emphasising the decisions people make regarding faith in him.
18
Q

faith

A

Voluntary commitment to a belief based on trust.

(A form of revelation)

19
Q

opinion

A

your own judgement/perspective of something.

20
Q

empiricism

A

A way of knowing that depends on the five senses.

(What we see around us)

21
Q

what does Aquinas say about faith?
Scienta

A

Summa Theologica - he explores how empirical and logical knowledge, (‘Scientia’) is certain because we can see the evidence in front of us through our senses.

22
Q

Explain how Christianity does not see faith and reason standing in contradiction to each other

A

Christianity sees faith as a virtue. (Better things)

Both faith & reason are given to humanity as gifts from God.
.
They see faith as a leap that can be taken once sense experience and reason have gone as far as they can.

23
Q

How is Revelation understood through the bible

A
  • religious experience
  • The beauty of the world serves as a means of revelation, as evident in Psalm 19, where the heavens declare the glory of God
  • Events of history are also considered a mode of revelation, where people gain insight into God’s purposes by reflecting on past events, as seen in Jeremiah, where the prophet highlights how the actions of the people of Israel shaped their destiny.
24
Q

Through the Beauty of the world Quote:

A

“The heavens declare the glory of Gods; the skies proclaim the work of his hands”

We can see the other work of God.

25
Q

Dawkins

A

‘Faith is great cop-out excuse’ - his book God Delusions

Feels it is harmful to humans to avoid thinking (humans are lazy/delusional) = highlighting that intelligence is not there, to have natural knowledge alone, you need a certain intelligence.

Likens belief in God to the tooth fairy or a teapot orbiting Mars – neither can be proven or disprove, but the lack of evidence means you shouldn’t believe it.

his argument:
Evolution (natural selection) can explain everything in the biological world. A supernatural creator is false

26
Q

Natural Theology - looking at the beauty of the world

A

Give proof through human experience and reason:
Looking at the beauty of the world.

  • William Paley – design argument – is an example of looking at the world’s beauty for proving God’s existence.
  • Psalm 8-9 – “how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
  • Aquinas – Natural Law theory. Christianity was not in opposition to reasonable common sense, they can be employed together.
  • Cause & Effect – uncaused causer’s proof of existence.
  • Swunburne – proof through order, regularity and purpose means there must be an intelligent being.
27
Q

John Calvin

A
  • 16th-century Protestant theologian, proposed the concept of ‘sensus divinitas,’translating to an innate sense of God. = we all have ‘some sense of deity’
  • Calvin argued that this innate sense of God implies a universal awareness of God’s existence, applicable to all human beings.
  • He asserted that people have no excuse for failing to worship God, as this innate sense of divinity is inherent in all individuals.
  • According to Calvin, any lack of clarity about God in the natural world is due to human sin, preventing a full awareness of God’s nature and purposes. = ‘pretending ignorance’
  • Calvin disagreed with the idea of an ‘epistemic distance’ between humans and God, arguing that it is created by humans themselves, not God, making it impossible for people to ignore God’s will unless they deliberately choose to do so.
  • The concept of being made ‘in the image of God’ led supporters of natural theology to believe that humans can appreciate beauty and goodness in the world
28
Q

“God can only be known through reasoning.”

A
  • Supporters of Natural Theology point to the existence of the world proving the existence of God.
  • For example, Aquinas argues that through observation of the world, we can see that there is motion (the movement from potentiality to actuality).
  • It follows that there must be a first mover, that the world must have a cause, and there must be a necessary being who brought the contingent universe into existence. = all whom we call God.
  • (known as the cosmological argument) point the fact that God can beknown through reasoning and observation.
29
Q

barth - objects the premises that reason can stand alone

A
  • our human reason is wrong, humans are incapable to know rights from wrong.
  • he viewed theology as idolatrous= so worshipped false idols. as Its arrogant to think fallible human reason could lead to any understanding of god.

Only God can break the barrier of sin

30
Q

how is knowlegde gained?

A
  • reason and logic
  • through sense experience (empiricism)
  • authoritative figures
31
Q

natural theology gained

A

(its the theory that knowledge of God can be gained by the power of the human mind.) It has two main forms:

Natural theology through reasoning about the natural world: God’s revelation is present in his creation and human reason has the ability to discover it. This resulting in knowledge of God based on reason.

Natural theology through sensing God is defended by some, including protestant theologians who are sceptical of the power of reason to know God.

32
Q

Epistemology

A

The study of knowlegde

33
Q

john paul

Bonaventura Three ways of knowing God

Analogy of the eye

A
  1. The ‘eye of the flesh’ = we gain knowldge through the senses
  2. the ‘eye of reason’ we gain knowlgde through reason
  3. the ‘eye of comemplation’ we gain knowldge through faith in God (beyond senses and reason)
34
Q

natural knowlgde

general knowlgde

A
  • part of nature
  • open to everyone
  • anything thats available to reason/senses
35
Q

*

epistemic distance

A
  • Distance in knowlegde and understanding
  • so that God can judge us fairly
  • To freely choose him
  • to be in the image and likeness of God
36
Q

Can the existence of God be known through reason alone?

A
  • Karl Barth, a Protestant theologian, was a prominent objector to the idea that human reason could provide knowledge of God, considering it almost a form of idolatry.
  • Many Christians see natural theology and revealed theology as complementary, with observation and reason providing a rational basis for faith, while revelation supplies additional insights not accessible through reason alone.
  • However, some view revealed theology as the sole means of knowing God, rejecting the idea that God can be known through reason alone.
  • Karl Barth believed that revelation only occurs when God chooses to disclose himself, with ultimate revelation found in Christ.
  • Defenders of natural theology argue against Barth’s extreme view, advocating for the role of human reason in the knowledge of God alongside revelation.
  • it’s too limited to reach understanding
37
Q

the order of creation

A
  • In his work “Institutes,” John Calvin distinguishes between two types of knowledge of God: as Creator and as Redeemer, known as the duplex cognitio Domini,
  • As Creator, the existence of God is evident through design and order in the universe.
  • Calvin emphasises that ‘wherever one looks, even the smallest aspects of the universe reveal glimpses of God’s glory.’
  • This excerpt from Calvin is not presented as an argument from design but rather as an expression of what can be known about God through creation.
  • Calvin’s principle of accommodation suggests that because human minds are limited, God reveals himself through creation in a way that humans can comprehend, adapting to their needs.
38
Q

The order of creation - purpose

A
  • William Paley’s argument from design posits that the existence of a creator can be inferred from the design and purpose evident in the world, using the analogy of a watch as evidence.
  • This argument suggests that just as we assume a watch has a creator due to its design and purpose, we can similarly infer a God from the designed and purposeful nature of the world.
  • However, there are objections to design arguments, including the observation that nature can be more brutal than beautiful, suggesting a cruel rather than loving deity.
  • Additionally, Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection proposes that nature develops to survive rather than having a predetermined purpose, which could render the notion of God redundant.

Christian theology (13 decks)

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