Nature Of God: Eternity & Freewill

Question 1

Define Atemporal

Answer 1

Being outside of the time process

Question 2

Define immutable

Answer 2

Immune to change (fixed,eternal) - the act of creation is a change, therefore how can a perfect being create?

Question 3

Define the doctrine of divine simplicity

Answer 3

God is wholly simple, cannot be complex as it’s contradictory to his nature - Aquinas

Question 4

Define conditional neccesity

Answer 4

When the necessity follows from a choice - e.g choosing to walk (consequence of free will)

Question 5

How does Boethius get round the problem of free will in relation to gods omniscence

Answer 5

The charioteer analogy - Difference between KNOWING what someone will do, and CAUSING it to happen

Question 6

How did boethius view god

Answer 6

Eternal being - outside of time and unaffected by it - for him, everything is now

Question 7

2 Criticisms of Boethius

Answer 7

1. If god is omniscient how are we free - god cant judge our actions if we aren’t responsible for them (no justice)
2. how can god be omnibonevolant if he knows what will happen and doesn’t intervene

Question 8

Define simultaneous glance

Answer 8

Viewing all of time at once

Question 9

Explain the charioteer analogy

Answer 9

Simply by observing, we have no influence on what is happening (god’s omniscience doesn’t remove our freewill)

Question 10

Define temporal

Answer 10

In this world instead of spiritual

Question 11

Anselm on god

Answer 11

God is both eternal and simple - no laws of space or time

Question 12

Anselm on freedom

Answer 12

Freedom is tied to rectitude (doing good)

• choosing wrongly isnt choosing at all (links to Augustine)
• free will is the ability to choose the right thing because one wants to

Question 13

whatdoes ‘eternal’ look like for Anselm

Answer 13

Eternity is a non- temporal concept
(Like a 4th demention)
- when we speek of god, we have no words to explain his existence as we aren’t from said place

Question 14

2 Criticisms of Anselm

Answer 14

• brings in questions to do with the trinity existing (problem of interaction)
• Anselm (and boethius) try to reconcile our freewill with the eternal nature of god + his knowledge

Question 15

What was the revelation of st john

Answer 15

“I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end”

Question 16

Define immanent

Answer 16

In relation to time

Question 17

Swinburne - issue of god interaction + book name

Answer 17

“The god of the Hebrew bible is pictured as interacting with humans” - the coherance of theism

Question 18

Swinburne on god

Answer 18

Rejects gods timeless nature - argues it is unbiblical

Question 19

Tillich on God + it’s counter argument

Answer 19

Argues an a-temporal god would be lifeless - yet believers speak of a ‘living god’
(Counter argument is that its an analogy)

Question 20

Barth on Gods interaction

Answer 20

Argues the incarnation of christ is an example of god acting within human history

Question 21

Humes analogy of the scales

Answer 21

(Over estimation of god for no reason)

Question 22

Issue of timelessness + omnibonevolance (religion)

Answer 22

To assume god is unmoved by faith/prayers undermines religion

Question 23

What are the 2 results of assuming god is not timeless

Answer 23

1) resolves difficulties related to free will

2) raises questions to do with Gods attributes
—> if the future is the future to god, and beyond his present action, can he still be considered omnipotent

Question 24

Cahn’s solution to a timely god being omniscient

Answer 24

Statements about future choices are neither true nor false, but indeterminate
—> choice is down to individual, not god

Being omniscient isnt about know the outcome, but knowing that it is indeterminate

Question 25

What would be the issue if god could not create creatures capable of free will ~ Cahn

Answer 25

He would not be omnipotent

Question 26

What does Plantiga argue in regard to moral action

Answer 26

We can only preform a genuine moral action when truly free