Natural Theology Flashcards
Natural Theology
attempt to gain knowledge of God via human reasoning and experiences through nature
psalm 46
‘I speak to you through the grass of meadows and the mountains’
teleological argument
Aquinas and Paleys attempt to prove God’s existence by pointing to the order and complexity of the World
Qua regularity argument
Aquinas
patterns and order in nature/ natural world = God’s existence
Qua purpose argument
Paley
design and purpose in nature/natural world = God’s existence
nature as a ‘point of contact’
Calvin
nature = point of contact between humans and the Divine
epistemic distance
humanities actions and emotions preventing us the have the awareness of God - not God’s doing.
principle of accommodation
God appears through nature to accommodate humans finite minds as its a medium we can understand
Fibonacci sequence
a mathematical sequence seen through nature - consistent of each number being the sum of the two previous
supports teleological argument
sensus divinitas
Calvin
humanities ability to access God through nature due to intuitive awareness of God
universal consent argument
instinct to believe in higher power is universal
shown through different time periods, nationalities and cultures
‘The Unknown God’
St Paul
sensus divinitas shown
Paul sees Athenians worshiping lots of idols and ‘the unknown God’
Paul concluded they were trying to find Christian God
Natural Moral Law
humans have inbuilt reason and awareness of right and wrong which comes from God
conscience
the voice of God guiding one to do right
aquinas - moral knowledge
