Knowledge of God’s existence

Question 1

Who thought of the idea of ‘Sensus Divinitas’

Answer 1

John Calvin

Question 2

What is Sensus Divinitas?

Answer 2

• An innate sense of God
• Means people have no excuse not to worship God
• Any lack of clarity about God’s nature only comes because human sin clouds understanding of God
• Epistemic distance is created by us

Question 3

What is a John Calvin quote about Sensus Divinitas?

Answer 3

‘The skilful ordering of the universe is for us a sort of mirror in which we can contemplate God’

Question 4

What did Cicero say about Knowledge of God?

Answer 4

• We could all have an innate sense of God
• This is shown because in all cultures an idea of a creator had been apparent at some point
• Cultures have shown strikingly similar beliefs without ever having talked to one another

Question 5

What does Acts 17 say about Knowledge of God?

Answer 5

• St Paul goes on a journey to Athens to present the Christian message to an audience of different philosophical backgrounds
• He wanted listeners to gain new knowledge of God
• Instead, they worship idols in temples. Paul believed the mightiness of God could not be summed up in mere temples

Question 6

Who is John Polkinghorne?

Answer 6

A Cambridge physicist and a Catholic Priest

Question 7

What did John Polkinghorne propose about knowledge of God?

Answer 7

• We have “Binocular vision”
• One side is science, the other is spirituality
• It is equally foolish to ignore either side
• Only together can they give a well rounded understanding of reality and the bigger picture

Question 8

What did Bonaventura say about Knowledge of God?

Answer 8

• Analogy of three different eyes to explain how we can know God
• “Eye of reason” = knowledge that helps us work out mathematical or philosophical truth
• “Eye of contemplation” = knowledge of God beyond sense/reason through faith
• “Eye of flesh” = knowledge through sense perception of the physical world (empirical evidence)

Question 9

What is the Barth/Brunner debate?

Answer 9

• How to interpret Calvin’s theology about how much human sin clouds knowledge of God
• Brunner = Natural theology can work to begin the conversation about God but cannot complete our knowledge. The Fall did leave an impact, but not in such a way that we could never know God. You must have faith in Jesus to have full knowledge of God
• Barth = Responds to Brunner with essay titled “Nein!” There is no authoritative knowledge except through revelation. Human reason is limited and incapable of working out significant truths alone. The Fall corrupted our reason significantly, making natural theology idolatry

Question 10

What does Dawkins believe about faith?

Answer 10

• Faith is actually harmful, encouraging laziness in thinking and avoidance of trying to reach any certainty
• Likens belief in God to belief in the tooth fairy. It can be conclusively disproved and has no evidence to support it
• “Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think”

Question 11

What did William Paley say about Knowledge of God?

Answer 11

• The natural work presents clear evidence of God. God is the watchmaker of the world
• Supported by Psalm 8

Question 12

What did Aquinas say about natural theology?

Answer 12

• Using it to prove Christian belief is reasonable
• Aquinas wanted to show that Christian belief didn’t have to be in opposition to common sense and reason/observation

Question 13

What did Robert Boyle say about natural theology?

Answer 13

• There are two great books by God. These are the Bible and the natural world
• Bible and science are complementary and enhance eachother to deepen understanding of God