Nature or attributes of God- omniscience

Question 1

What is the term for God knowing the future?

Answer 1

Divine foreknowledge.

Question 2

What is the problem with Divine foreknowledge?

Answer 2

We are predetermined.

Question 3

Calvin:

Answer 3

Agrees with Divine foreknowledge.
- Ephesians, ‘in love he predestines us’.
- ‘ordains eternal life for some and eternal damnation for others’.

Question 4

Boethius:

Answer 4

How can God have divine foreknowledge and we still have free will?
- There is a ‘hopeless conflict’ between the two.
- The future cannot change or God’s knowledge is simply ‘fallible opinion’. Boethius says this is a problem. Doesn’t agree with this situation.

Question 5

What is Boethius’ book?

Answer 5

‘The Consolation of Philosophy’.

Question 6

Lady philosophy:

Answer 6

Has a discussion with lady philosophy in ‘The consolation of philosophy’.

Question 7

Boethius solution:

Answer 7

• It is pointless to talk of Calvinist concept (pre-determined God).
• Reward and punish is pointless, we need to be ‘free agents’. Traditionalist, belief in heaven and hell.
• We must be the ‘author of our actions’.
• We must be free whilst God also has divine foreknowledge.

Answer:
- God is eternal (atemporal), sees everything in one glance.

Question 8

Boethius and God as atemporal:

Answer 8

• God does not see past, present and future in a linear way. All of time together as ‘simultaneously present’.
• ‘never changing present’.
• Does not believe in divine foreknowledge, just all time. So he does not determine our actions.
• Past, present and future is a human concept.

Question 9

Aquinas:

Answer 9

• Boethius take, ‘God sees all things together, not successively’.
• Example of ‘birds eye view’.
• Walkers on hill example. Sees them, they don’t know he’s there (separate), but God knows which way all of the walkers are going to go.
• But isn’t this more everlasting?

Question 10

Everlasting omniscience:

Answer 10

• Future has not yet happened, it is unknown.

Question 11

Three perspectives on everlasting omniscience:

Answer 11

• God’s omniscience is limited to what is logically possible. Future has not yet happened yet, is unknown. Swinburne.
• God deliberately limits his knowledge, human free will. Vardy and Macquarie.
• God is aware of everything of our choices, it’s our free decision still. Schleiermacher.

Question 12

Schleiermacher:

Answer 12

• Analogy that close friends have of each others actions.
• Still free.
• Someone doesn’t like alcohol, don’t think they will drink.
• Omniscience of behaviours tells us that she probably will not drink.
• God doesn’t force, we can still be held morally responsible.
• But knows all avenues and paths.
• Luis of Molina agrees with Schleiermacher.

Question 13

Problems with Divine Foreknowledge:

Answer 13

• Judgement.
• Judges evil, but this is all predetermined.
• Epicurean paradox, God is the cause of suffering.

Question 14

Problems with Boethius:

Answer 14

• God cannot judge us if he cannot know what it’s like to change.
• Someone may have been really horrible younger then developed into a greater person.

Question 15

Self- imposed limitations problem:

Answer 15

• God is thus not immutable.
• He has changed.