The Nature Of God Flashcards
What is omnipotence?
The idea that God can do anything. It means ‘all powerful’.
What are some ideas raised when philosophers and theologians debate about what it means to be all powerful?
- God can do anything, including the impossible
- God can only do the logically possible
- God as self imposed a limit to his omnipotence (as he is working within the limits of our universe)
How does Descartes view God’s omnipotence??
If it does not mean God can do absolutely anything, how could he perform miracles through Jesus? We don’t understand this due to our limited reason.
What does Anselm believe on God’s omnipotence?
Omnipotence means that God has unlimited power, and so God can have the power to lie, but he chooses not to.
How does Aquinas view God’s omnipotence?
God can only do what is logically possible and which does not lead to contradiction and thus cannot create a square circle, because it cannot exist.
God can only do what a perfect God can do, e.g cannot sin
How does Swinburne view God’s omnipotence?
Agrees with Aquinas. God being able to do everything has to be understood in context. A square circle is not a thing so god cannot make it.
What is the concept of self imposed limitation?
The idea that in creating a limited universe, God decided that he would only operate within the natural laws he created.
This means God would not do any logically impossible actions (square circle)
What issue does the concept of self imposed limitation raise?
Is God still worthy of worship if he cannot do everything?
Explain the concept of God being eternal
God created time and therefore is outside of time. Exists in all times
Supported by Boethius, Anselm and Aquinas.
Explain the concept of God being everlasting
God moves along the same timeline as we do, but always exists.
Which theologists support God as eternal?
Boethius, Anselm, and Aquinas.
Who developed the four dimensional approach to God and time?
Anselm
What is the four dimensional approach to God ans time?
- God is separate to time and space.
- Time is a dimension, while we are limited by time and space, God is not.
- God is present everywhere and everywhen
Why does Swinburne reject God as eternal?
A God who is present in all times is not a God that could have personal relationships with people, ans a God who cannot have relationships with their creation, is a God that does not love their creation
Two approaches to God’s omniscience
1) God is all knowing: if X is true, then God knows X. If this were true, God would have to be in our same timeline, and hence not be immutable
2) God is all knowing (simple edition); God is all knowing because he knows everything there is to know. He knows is creation because he created it. If this were true, God would know every action we are going to take. This is just an illusion of free will therefore.
How does Boethius attempt to reconcile omniscience with free will?
He argues that God sees our future under the condition that it has been freely chosen.
What is omnibenevolence?
God’s all loving nature towards humanity
The problem of evil and suffering
Do evil and suffering contradict an all loving God? Some would argue that if he was all loving, then he would not let his people suffer
What is the problem of language?
Can our language explain fully God’s benevolence? Can our limited language explain God’s infinite nature?
What is the problem if hell?
Would an all loving God condemn people to eternal suffering? Is hell a sign that God gives up on some people or is hell a place that people bring themselves to?
What is the Euthyphro dilemma?
An ancient philosophical problem in which Socrates asks whether the Gods will something because it is good, or something good because the Gods will it?
- The former suggests that good is more powerful than the Gods
- the latter suggests that good is arbitrary or a matter of opinion
How does faith help Christians with God’s attributes?
Faith has the final word for Christians. If we do not fully understand how the world works, God’s revelation assures Christians that somehow God’s attributes do work together
What is simple necessity?
The necessity of nature acting, according to the natural, physical laws.
What is conditional necessity?
An action is observed only because it has been freely chosen
What is providence
God’s knowledge, not of the future but how God oversees the world and our free choices
How does Swinburne defend against arguments suggesting that an everlasting God isn’t omniscience.
Swinburne defines omniscience as knowing everything that is logically possible to know. Because the future has not yet happened, it isn’t logical to know what will happen
