Knowledge of God Flashcards
(17 cards)
What analogy does Bonaventura use and what does this show?
‘eye of flesh’, ‘eye of reason’, and the ‘eye of contemplation’
flesh- empirical world
reason- mathematical and philosophical truths
contemplation- beyond reason=faith
What does John Polkinghorne say?
Influence by Bonaventura’s eyes and uses the metaphor of ‘binocular vision’
science is through one lens, spiritual truths the other- both eyes are needed to complete the picture
it is foolish for religious believers to discard science, and for scientists to discard faith
What is natural theology?
an attempt to discover truths existence and nature of God through human reason and observation
What is Cicero’s Universal Consent argument?
everyone has pondered an infinite being
- perhaps this is because of the womb? something bigger and better beyond us?
What does Calvin argue that we have?
sensus divinitas
the epistemic distance allows for freewill and we as humans must bridge this gap
What is the aesthetic argument?
our apreciation of beauty and goodness
Innate sense of morality?
universal moral norms, enhanced by guilt
What is revealed theology?
God chooses to reveal himself to humans directly
Cannot be worked out by human reason alone
What is immediate revelation?
God directly communicating with people
- Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
What is mediate revelation?
God revealing himself indirectly- through a “mediator”
- listening to Moses
What is faith ?
What does Kierkegaurd say bout faith/
‘leap of faith’
What does Aquinas say about faith?
It is an unchanging commitment
What is God’s grace?
giving full knowledge of himself by the Holy Spirit
- faith to believe the Christian message, ability to live Christian life, opportunity for salvation
What does Acts 17 say?
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples by human hands
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent
- St Paul ‘reasoned’ with the people of Athens and their worshipping of an ‘unknown God’
- both natural and revealed theology are needed
Criticisms of Natural theology?
they are both needed
(Barth) natural theology is idolatry, we are incapable of working out right and wrong- so need God’s revelation, Christ is needed for salvation
What does Dawkins say about any kind of faith?
‘harmful’
‘faith is the great cop out’
