Judaeo-Christian Influences on Philosophy of Religion

Question 1

The Way the Bible presents God as involved with his creation

Answer 1

• God creates in Genesis by the power of his word – ‘God said, ‘Let…’, And it was…’
• God creates the world for the benefit of humanity – for example to moon, stars and sun to mark out times and seasons.
• Humans are seen as the pinaccle of God’s creation – humanity is God’s representative to maintain and enforce God’s power over the created world.
• God is shown as having a continuing involvement in his creation – part of a wider narrative of God’s love and care for his people. One element of this involvement is through the provision of morality and ethics as a guide to good living.

Question 2

The Imagery of God as a Craftsman

Answer 2

• God’s creativity is seen in terms of his making something, like a craftsman, gradually fashioning it and shaping it to take the form he intends it to have.
• “And God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear’. And it was so. God called the dry ground ‘land’, and the gathered waters he called ‘seas’. And God saw that it was good.”
• Later in the second Genesis account in verse 7 were the man is formed, the writer uses a verb most often descriptive of a potter shaping clay.
• The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living thing. God shapes an inanimate creature from the dust of the ground, and then breathes into it the breath of life.

Question 3

The Characteristics of God

Answer 3

• Omnipotence – God is all powerful – to do everything that is logically possible (to do the impossible is inconsistent and incoherent)
• Omniscience – God has knowledge of all things past, present and future. Leads on to a range of ideas of foreknowledge and predestination.
• Omnipresence – God is present in all places at all times – Psalm 130, ‘Where can I go from your presence?’

Question 4

The Concept of ‘creatio ex nihilo’

Answer 4

• Is the idea that God created everything out of nothing.
• Where there was no matter, God created matter: nothing pre-existed the universe except from God.
• “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the water. And God said, ‘Let there be light….’” Highlights God’s omnipotence and ability to do the logically impossible.
• If God does not create out of nothing, then it means there is something (matter to be created) which is also eternal, like God, therefore undermining God’s uniqueness.

Question 5

Similarities with the Prime Mover

Answer 5

• Both responsible for creation of the universe from nothing.
• Both responsible for the purpose of the world. Immaterial – a power and energy not made of the same physical stuff as the material world.
• The transcendent impersonal God of Genesis 1 is similar to Aristotle’s Prime Mover (although Genesis 2 presents a much more immanent God.)

Question 6

Differences with the Prime Mover

Answer 6

• Genesis 2 presents an immanent God – he is involved with his creation and personal. This is very different from Aristotle’s transcendent and impersonal Prime Mover.
• A broader reading of the Bible suggests that God is not completely immaterial – in Genesis 3 God walks around the garden.
• Subsequently in the New Testament in the incarnation of Jesus, God becomes flesh.

Question 7

Is God as creator therefore responsible for everything that happens in the universe?

Answer 7

• If God is creator and craftsman, as well as omnipotent and omniscient – it could be argued that God is therefore responsible for everything that happens in the universe both good and bad – leads to ideas further considered in the problem of evil.

Question 8

The Bible’s presentation of God as morally perfect

Answer 8

• Different Hebrew/Greek words are used to convey the goodness on God
• Hesed – loving kindness
• Rahamin – tender love (maternal in nature)
• Agape – unconditional love
• Psalm 116 - “The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.”

Question 9

The Bible’s presentation of God as the source of human ethics

Answer 9

• God’s love for his people communicated through covenant relationships with his people – from Adam -> Abraham -> Moses and the Jews Covenants – a two way relationships where the duties and expectations are out lined
• “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. – Exodus 6
• Within this context God sets ethical boundaries and guidelines – 10 commandments and the broader Jewish law (613 commands)
• The ethical conduct of his people to be a reflection of God’s goodness.

Question 10

The Concept of God as a Lawgiver

Answer 10

• Imagery of a parent – setting down a good set of laws which are supposed to help the growth and development of the child, help them understand appropriate boundaries.
• As creator and shaper of the universe, everyone and thing is answerable to God.
• OT Law – multi-faceted, different purposes.
• NT Law – law of love
• “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Question 11

The Concept of God as a Judge

Answer 11

• By necessity the ‘law-giver’ needs to act also as a ‘consequence-giver’ when the law is broken, as without consequences the law is seen as worthless.
• The primary enforcer of the ethical system.
• God is righteous and good to judge on the basis of people’s actions. I
• n the Christian tradition, Jesus is seen as suffering the punishment of the breaking of the law by humanity – ultimate example of agape love.
• NT Parable of the Sheep and the Goats

Question 12

Does God command things because they are good? Or are things good because God commands them?

Answer 12

• Also known as the Euthyphro Dilemma
• Is piety loved by the God because it is pious, or is it piety because it is loved by the Gods?
• Does piety only become good because it happens to be what the God’s like (and therefore has no intrinsic goodness of its own) Or do they love it because it is intrinsically good regardless of the God’s opinion?
• Slightly different context for monotheistic belief – Is something morally good because God commands it, or does God command it because it is good?