Knowldge of God Scholars

Question 1

Calvin

Answer 1

We have sensus divinitas, a seed of divinity or innate sense of God. This isn’t restricted to Christians, anyone who can reflect on the natural world should be able to easily understand the existence and character of God. God created the world so that humans can’t ignore him. If we can’t recognise him then it is our fault.

Question 2

Tennant

Answer 2

Our ability to recognise and understand beauty comes from God. there is no evolutionary benefit to being able to appreciate beauty, so must have come from God.

Question 3

Swinburne

Answer 3

Our powers of observation and reason provide us with good justification for the world showing order, regularity and purpose that lead to God.

Question 4

Pope Francis

Answer 4

Argued that science doesn’t contradict God and Darwin felt that the theory of evolution still left room for God.

Question 5

Bonaventure

Answer 5

Used the analogy of the eye. The eye of the flesh is sense perception. The eye of reason and the eye of contemplation which goes beyond sense and reason to gaining knowledge of God through faith.

Question 6

Boyle

Answer 6

The Bible and science are complementary and enhance eachother. Both the natural world and the Bible were created by the same author, so both bring understanding and knowledge.

Question 7

Aquinas

Answer 7

Natural theology is important in demonstrating that Christian belief is reasonable. He was keen to show that reaosn and observation supported Christian belief. His 5 ways weren’t to prove God, but were meant to show belief as reasonable.

Question 8

Polkinghorne

Answer 8

We see science through one eye, which shows us the physical world. The other eye shows us spiritual truths of God, the purpose and context of the creator of God. We need both eyes to have a complete picture. It is foolish to shut one eye to science and vise versa.

Question 9

Dawkins

Answer 9

Faith provided insufficient reason for belief. Faith encourages people to be lazy in their thinking and trying to avoid certainty. Religion tends to deal with gaps as mystery, dismissing them as ‘God did it’.

Question 10

Platinga

Answer 10

Revealed theology is reasonable, but natural theology can’t offer sufficient reason to believe in God and certainly no knowledge of the God of love and grace. There is not a seperate natural theology for the knowledge of God, but there is a general religious sense which makes it reasonable for Christians to make basic religious claims. Whilst there is no proof of belief, there can be good reasons to maintain it.

Question 11

Barth

Answer 11

Revealed theology is the only way in which God can be known. Therefore, only those who believe in revelation can claim to have knowledge of God. New Testament is kind of idolatry where people worshipped false ideals, believing they could access absolute eternal truths. But fallible human reason can’t lead to knowledge of God. Barth was witnessing the rise of Nazism in Germany - seeing first hand the impact of reason going in the wrong direction. This enhances his protestant conviction that human reason was flawed and unreliable.