Knowledge of Gods existence Flashcards
Main premise
God makes parts of himself known through nature (Sensus Divinitas) yet it is only through Gods grace we can gain true knowledge of his existence and our faith
Natural Theology
looking at the complex intricacies of the natural world to gain knowledge of God
Natural Knowledge: Innate sense of the Divine
Genesis 1 “God created mankind in his own image” / Genesis 2 “Breathed into his nostrils the breath of life - reinforces the innate sense”
Sensus Divintas - Calvin believed that God can be known purely through an innate sense of the divine. The desire for God is in-built within humans, it is a basic sense which gives both the capacity and desire to know God.
Even “backward peoples” and those “remote from civilization” have a belief that there is a God due to this sense
Natural Knowledge: Innate sense of the Divine (advantages)
Universal Consent Argument - Many cultures throughout history have sense there is an almighty power controlling the universe. So many people believe in the gods or God, then the gods or God must exist - or even if this doesn’t prove their existence it does, at the very least, suggests that it is reasonable to believe in the gods or God.
Natural Knowledge: Innate sense of the Divine (disadvantages)
Feuerbach – universal belief in God only suggests a universal psychological need for God – perhaps to give purpose in a meaningless existence
Atheism within Western cultures suggests that this sense of the Divine does not exist, but it was the lack of science that in Calvin led to such an abundance of beliefs in a God
Natural Knowledge: Innate sense of the Divine (counter)
Threatening as may disprove how there are absolute right or wrongs and that it is just a societal construct but then why even in young kids do we have an innate sense of justice and what’s right – when we have been wronged we know
Cannot be reduced psychological as when your that young you don’t understand the human desire and need for a God – must have faith
Natural Knowledge: As seen in the order of creation (Inductive a posteriori arguments to prove the existence of God claim to do)
What can be known of God can be seen in the apparent design and purpose of nature
Romans 1:20 “God’s invisible qualities…being understood from what has been made”
Natural Knowledge: As seen in the order of creation (disadvantage)
Calvin argued that sense of Divine is all within us and does not need reason
Counter to Calvin
Word ‘understood’ implies reason
- Romans 1:20 seems to suggest that the understanding is gained from creation itself, which sounds like reasoned inference from the natural world rather than a sense of God which isn’t derived from ‘what has been made’; creation
Barth supports Calvin
Barth responds by arguing that humans are too damaged by the fall to gain knowledge of God suggested in the Gentiles when they worship fake idols
-Only using Natural (Roman 1:25) theology leads to idolatry whereas rather God is experienced in natural things i.e. birds etc.
Disadvantage of Barth
Seems arrogant and ignorant – how can fallible beings seek to gain knowledge of God in which Augustine would describe as a ‘fallen world’ where humans are tempted towards sin etc.
- Calvin supported this and despite the belief that we all have a spark of the Divine within us, natural theology can only reveal part truths of God’s existence , but not the full revelation of God (must have faith in God that he will save us by means of his grace which he give to us)
Revealed knowledge - Through faith and God’s Grace
Humans are corrupted by the fall emphasized in Genesis and have the tendency desire to constantly turn away from God. So whilst we are made in the image of God it is only through mediate/immediate revelation true knowledge can be obtained
Even if the Fall was not literal many theologians keep to the document of OS
Revealed knowledge - Through faith and God’s Grace (Advantages)
Augustine defends OS with evidence derived from his childhood when he writes in his book Confessions his guilty pleasure in sinning when he stole a pear from a garden
Explains why children sin from an early age
Revealed knowledge - Through faith and God’s Grace (disadvantages)
Pelagius argues that Augustine’s views reflect his society and not human nature and that the only reason people sin is that their upbringing has been corrupted with evil and thus is assimilated into their nature although they were born without it. He refers to this as being “educated in evil”
We could add contemporary historical and sociological evidence to Pelagius’ point. Humans have progressed since Augustine’s time
Disadvantages of Pelagius
But have we progressed? Modern culture thinks that they have a moral superiority to those in the past but when we look at the boiling of nuns in hot tar in Russia in the 1900s or in the modern day the lack of public action after the brutalities within Chetnia – we could argue that we have not progressed
Although Pelagius makes a good point he is unclear as to where this evil has come from in the first place – Augustine instead gives a clear concise statement and can explain its origins which makes a more coherent argument
