knowledge of Gods' existence Flashcards
Sensus Divinitatis
Calvin said that all people have an innate sense of the divine that means anyone can know God.
Calvin’s understanding of limited senus divinitas
People aren’t fully aware of their innate sense of God as they are confused by sin.
Innate sense of the divine according to the Catholic church
‘desire for God is written in the human heart’.
Semen Religionis
Calvin’s belief in the seed of religion which is found in people.
Example of humans experiencing sensus divinitas (Example 1)
The conscience- the feeling of guilt we have inside us when we do something wrong is a voice inside us that provides innate evidence that God exists.
Example of humans experiencing sensus divinitas (Example 2)
Humans are also aware of beauty and the Catholic Church states that this appreciation of aesthetics helps people to understand God’s existence.
Example of humans experiencing sensus divinitas (Example 3)
Our intellectual ability helps us reflect on what we see around us using our power of reason.
Calvin’s quote on sensus divinitas
“the grace of God has no charms for men till the Holy spirit gives them a taste of it”
Albert Einstein quote on God’s existence
“my sense of God is my sense of wonder about the universe”
What does true faith look like in day to day life?
someone who has found faith is likely to change the they live to be different from the norm.
Why does Dawkins reject faith?
Believes faith is merely filling in the gaps where we do not know the answers to.
Dawkins quote on the rejection of faith
“faith is a great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence.”
St Paul explanation of faith to the thinkers of Athens
Paul explains that their altar ‘to an unknown God’ demonstrates that they worship the Christian God without knowing it.
How does Paul’s passage support the idea of natural theology?
It suggests that there is a point of contact from which conclusions about God can be gained using reason.
How does Jesus changed Paul’s belief system?
Jesus existence meant that humans need to be aware of what they are worshipping suggesting there is a need for revealed theology as well as natural theology.
