omnipotence

Question 1

omnipotence

Answer 1

god has unlimited power
luke 1:37 “for with god nothing shall be impossible”

Question 2

weakness

omnipotence paradox

Answer 2

if an omnipotent being has power to create a stone that he cannot lift, how can god be omnipotent?

Question 3

Descartes’ voluntarism

Answer 3

-God’s has power to do anything, even the logically impossible.
-eg mathematical, geometric, logical and moral truths
-because of God’s ‘immensity’ “nothing at all can exist which does not depend on Him.” This includes maths and logic.
- logic is a human limitation

Question 4

descartes dates?

Answer 4

1596-1650

Question 5

descrates quotes

Question 6

descrates criticism

Voluntarism is incoherent

Answer 6

-By attributing to God the power to do the logically impossible, voluntaristic omnipotence seems to destroy logical necessity.
-if he can do logically impossible it then=possible

Question 7

descrates crticism

Descartes’ theory of omnipotence undermines theodicies

Answer 7

-Responses to the problem of evil seem to be undermined
-reasons given why God allows evil is it’s not logically possible for God to eliminate evil without contradicting his divine justice (Augustine), taking away our free will (Augustine & Plantinga) or opportunities for growth from evil (Irenaeus & Hick).
-However, if God can do the logically impossible, then it seems he could eliminate evil without removing our free will or opportunities for growth
so why hasnt he?

Question 8

the doctorine of kenosis

Answer 8

-self emptying
-god deliberatley emptied himself of some of his divine attributes before coming to earth, in order to make jesus counter w/jumanity

Question 9

jl mackie

Answer 9

-gods OP + perfect goodness r consistent w/ his failing to avail himself of possibility of actualizing a morally perfect world
-god can actualize a morally perfect world only if god does actualize a morally perfect world

Question 10

jl mackie dates

Answer 10

1917-1981

Question 11

aquinas

Answer 11

-ability to do any logically possible thing
-God’s power is founded on God’s infinite divine nature which “possesses within itself the perfection of all being”.
-only bring about things consistent with the perfection of being
-cannot create something which both exists and does not exist because it is not consistent with being

Question 12

aquinas dates

Answer 12

1225-1274

Question 13

aquinas quotes

Answer 13

“that which implies being and non-being at the same time” cannot be brought about by God “not because of any defect in the power of God, but because it has not the nature of a feasible or possible thing.”
-“it is better to say that such things cannot be done, than that God cannot do them.”

Question 14

aquinas criticsm

The paradox of the stone

Answer 14

-some logically possible action which God cannot do
-god make a stone to heavy to lift, he cant lift it

Question 15

Mavrodes defends Aquinas

Answer 15

-the stone is logically self-contradictory if we notice the full context
-stone in question is not just a heavy stone, but a stone ‘too heavy for an omnipotent being to lift’.
-According to the definition of an omnipotent being, they can lift any stone.
so stone that=to heavy for omnipotent being to lift =logically impossible, similar to 4-sided triangle.
-Aquinas would argue that God cannot create this stone because it is logically impossible.
-Aquinas’ definition of omnipotence remains valid

Question 16

self imposed limitation

Answer 16

-a third way of resolving issues regarding omnipotence. It suggests that the only limits on God’s power are limits God chose. God still has the power to do anything he chooses as God is only limited by God’s own choice.

Question 17

sil

peter vardy

Answer 17

-its limited
-god not in control of whole history/able to move piece like chess
-he created world in such a way that his ability to act is limited
-world suits free rational creatures- god limits power over this
-still powerful as only he can limit his power

Question 18

sil

john macquarrie

Answer 18

-gods not constrained by logic, laws of nature+ physics, nor the acts of free acting humans
-he choose to limit his own power out of love 4 humanity
-made by christian theologians
-god became man in jesus+ emptied himself of some abilities

Question 19

Voluntarist critique of self-imposed limitation

Answer 19

-he must choose to not interfere with our free will or the logic of the universe. His power is constrained, though only due to his choice because of his goals.
-no need for God to self-limit even to bring about what he wants (a loving relationship with us)
-try to solve a prob that isnt even one