Perhaps Total Omnipotence Is Not A Great Quality, And God Should Be Understood As "Unsurpassably Great" Rather Than Totally Powerful

Question 1

A.N. Whitehead and Charles ? argued that absolute omnipotence in the sense of total power wouldn’t in reality be a perfect quality, and that it’d be better to think of God as a being whose power can’t be surpassed by any other being, rather than as a being with total power.

Answer 1

Hartshorne.

Question 2

Hartshorne argues that total power isn’t actually all that impressive, considering that total power means that nothing else’s able to put up any resistance at all to that power. Omnipotence means having total influence and effect. A totally omnipotent god would’ve total control over everything, and nothing would be able to do anything unless God allowed it and controlled it. ? asks us what would be so impressive about a being who can conquer things that can put up no resistance?

Answer 2

Hartshorne.

Question 3

For Hartshorne, it’s important for an understanding of God’s power that we recognise that other beings, through their free will, are capable of putting up resistance to God. God’s power over them isn’t total, although his power’s always greater than that of any being. In his view, God’s ? means that God can overcome all resistance, not that God will meet no ?

Answer 3

Omnipotence.

Resistance.