Knowledge of God's Existence (1)

Question 1

What are different types of knowing?

Answer 1

• I know 2+2=4
• I know Peter Smith
• I know OF Peter Smith

These are different types of knowing

Question 2

What is Natural Theology?

Answer 2

God can be known through reason and observation of the world

Question 3

What is Revealed Theology?

Answer 3

God can only be known when he lets himself be known, for example through revelation, prophets scripture or prayer

Question 4

What is the main difference between Natural and Revealed Theology?

Answer 4

• God is uniquely different from any other object and requires a different type of reason
• Natural Theology attempt to provide rational justification of God, despite Gods existence lying beyond reason
• Revealed Theology argues only God himself can reveal his being (can be considered irrational)

Question 5

What are incorrigible facts and how is this linked to ‘True Knowledge’?

Answer 5

• Incorrigible facts are facts which cannot be disputed, e.g scientific fact about the world and its properties
• True Knowledge however can be said to be the understanding of life and what makes it worth living

Question 6

What is the Ancient View on ‘True Knowledge’?

Answer 6

• The love (philos) of wisdom (sophia)
• Second knowledge ‘wisdom’ to ‘know oneself’ and their place in society to live well

Question 7

What is the knowledge of God in relation to ‘True Knowledge’?

Answer 7

• Can be argued that true knowledge is the knowledge of God as he provides life
• If we know God we can understand life§

Question 8

Quote the catechism on their support for natural theology?

Answer 8

• “acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to that creator”
• The Catholic Church supports natural theology
• They argue that the natural world provides a point of contact between us and God

Question 9

What is the ‘Sensus Divinitatus’ and who agree with it? (Quote)

Answer 9

• Calvin calls this the innate sense of the divine through our natural inclination to carry out religious practice such as ritual and prayer
  “no one can look upon himself without immediately turning… to the contemplation of God”
• The Catholic Church also agrees with this

Question 10

What is biblical support for the ‘Sensus Divinitatus’? (The Unknown God)

Answer 10

• Speech of St Paul to Athenians is regarded as Biblical support
• He has to convince them they are worshipping the true God among many altars, one is dedicated to the “unknown God”
• Desire to know this “unknown God” has been a quest for Greek Philosophers even if they are unaware of this

Question 11

What is the Universal Consent argument for the innate sense of God?

Answer 11

• Stated by Cicero
• Argued so many people believe in Gods
• Though it does not prove Gods existence it shows it is reasonable to believe in God due to so many people believing in him

Question 12

How does the Catechism argue for the innate sense of God? (Quote)

Answer 12

“so universal that one may well call man a religious being”
- Catechism states that prayer, sacrifice, ritual and meditation despite the ambiguities are universal

Question 13

How does human sense of beauty and moral goodness point to the knowledge of God?

Answer 13

• Human ability to find beauty in music, landscapes and craft shows we have an openness to truth and beauty
• Human sense of beauty are foundations for the knowledge of God

Question 14

How does Natural Law indicate knowledge of God?

Answer 14

• Catholic indication of innate knowledge of God
• NL believes all humans have an innate sense of goodness, fairness and justice
• Small children quickly develop a sense of fairness and justice

Question 15

How does Conscience reveal knowledge of God for Calvin?

Answer 15

• Calvin believed conscience was extremely important in knowledge of God and morality
• It is a god given faculty as we are made in the image of God, part of our moral choice making responds to Gods will
• Conscience means ‘joint knowledge’ between ourselves and God, his presence give us a sense of moral judgement

Question 16

What does Aquinas argument for Gods existence show about the knowledge of God?

Answer 16

• Aquinas’ argument for the existence of God was based around the first cause
• This does not definitively prove Gods existence but a strong reason to believe
• Shows God is abstract and greater than our finite minds

Question 17

What is Calvins notion of ‘Duplex Cognito Domini’? (Quote)

Answer 17

• Two fold knowledge of God; God as creator and God as redeemer, outlined by Calvin in his ‘institutes’
• “no spot in the universe where you cannot discern at least some sparks of his glory” - Calvin

Question 18

What is Calvins ‘Principle of Accommodation’?

Answer 18

• Human minds are finite and we cannot know God through reason, God manifests himself through creation in ways the human mind can understand
• ‘sparks of glory’ in nature let us see Gods love, power, justice and mercy

Question 19

What is a world of purpose and how does Paley indicate this? Include a weakness to Paley’s argument?

Answer 19

• Paley’s watch argument places emphasis on a world of purpose that has a God
• Theory of evolution however proposes nature could just be a brute force and have no explanation

Question 20

What is Process Theology?

Answer 20

• Influenced by quantum physics/quantum uncertainty
• Notion that God and the world act in tandem; God works with natural processes to maximise their greatest potential at any moment in time

Question 21

Quote Process Theologian Ian Barbour and expand on his ideas?

Answer 21

“God who acts not by coercing but by evoking the response of his creatures”
- God’s ‘persuasion’ asserts that there is no grand end for where nature is moving, every moment is an end in itself
- No distinction between natural and revealed theology, God’s revelation is his participation in nature

Question 22

What is Calvins view on the Fall and Natural Theology?

Answer 22

• Calvin argues natural theology overlooks the corruption of humanity due to the fall
• He argues if Adam remained upright (si integer stessitet Adam) we would know God and achieve perfect happiness

Question 23

How does Calvins view on the Fall show God as a redeemer? (Quote)

Answer 23

“Until Christ the mediator comes forward to reconcile him to us”
- God as a redeemer of humankind, knowing God is to be regenerated and True knowledge is salvation in Christ
- Effects of the Original Sin are see through religious ignorance, indifference and being distracted by the material world

Question 24

What did Dawkins believe about Faith?

Answer 24

• Belief of Gods revelation requires faith and some form of reason
• Dawkins called faith a ‘cop out’ of having to explain views

Question 25

What is Unformed Faith for Aquinas?

Answer 25

• Faith which may have intellectual reason why but one cannot accept it is true
  e.g devils believed in God but did not trust him to save them

Question 26

What is Formed Faith for Aquinas?

Answer 26

• Faith which wills to accept what it can believe through intellect
• Requires the discipline of prayer and worship to know what is true and good to accept

Question 27

What is Firm and Certain Knowledge for Calvin?

Answer 27

• Criticism to Aquinas for not making Christ the direct object of faith
• Firm knowledge is only revealed by Christ and sealed by the holy spirit

Question 28

What is ‘Willingness to believe’ for Calvin?

Answer 28

• Faith is ‘given to anyone who is willing to accept it’, an emotional and spiritual assurance when we believe in redemption and salvation of Christ

Question 29

What is the Revealed Knowledge of God in Jesus Christ?

Answer 29

• Calvin does not make a sharp distinction between general and special revelation
• The Final Revelation of Christ in the New Testament resolves all contradictions in the Old Testament