THL-1050 – Professor Ruscil
03/25/2009 – 16:30
New Topic: A Contemporary Image of God
A synthesis of all previously covered topics
Two poles
Transcendence <—————– God —————–> Immanence
Transcendence:
(Deism)
- Classical Theism (AKA Supernatural Theism) [theism = belief in God, the opposite of atheism]: This model always emphasizes God’s distinctness, God’s separateness (aloofness) from the world (Greek origin)
- Of the attributes attributed to God, omnipitence is the one most often emphasized here, the puppeteer, God is pulling all the strings/in total control
- Also God’s immutability is also emphasized
- God’s impassibility (the etymological root is “passion”, suffering) – God cannot suffer or be affected in any meaningful way by anything outside God. Therefore, God cannot be affected by creation.
- The unmoved mover
- Comes from Greek philosophy, the ideal of perfection, metaphysics
Evil in this view = (if God is all-powerful) God IS able to prevent evil; yet evil does exist. Therefore for some reason God is unwilling to prevent/thwart evil.
Critiques of this view:
- Cancer, famine, war, etc. are of God
- Evolution does not support the view that God is in total control. Matter is self-structuring, the molecular world is self-engineering, randomness in nature, a great deal of chance, a great deal of molecular self-actualization.
- Survival of the fittest
- Freedom: If God really is in total control, does freedom make any difference? Predestination, the plan of God, is freedom just an illusion? If so, what of hell? Would nuclear destruction of the earth be stopped by God if it wasn’t his will, or if it happens, would it be his will?
Strength of this view:
- the providence of God -> God has the capacity to influence the outcome of human history.
Weakness
- no real acceptance of human freedom
Immanence:
(Pantheism)
- Biblical Theism (Hebrew origin)
- Emphasizes God’s presence (in the world) struggling with humanity against evil
- (Our) Experience of God in history (as a liberator, as a savior, Egypt, etc.) God’s saving power lies in historical events
Attributes:
- God is compassionate, merciful, and loving; God is actively involved in the world.
Weakness (in this view):
- If God is loving and compassionate,
- God is willing to prevent evil; but evil exists (nevertheless). Could it be possible that God is unable to prevent evil?
- What happens to God’ power b/c he seems so vulnerable and limited
Strength:
accepts (human) freedom
God (the center of these two poles, a contemporary view)
- Dialectical Theism:
- offers an image of God where God IS unable to prevent evil
- God creates to enter into a relationship, but freedom and autonomy are requirements in/demanded by an authentic relationship
- evil is the exercise of freedom/autonomy
- freedom is God’s limitation in relation to this world
- God depends on creation for its acceptance of God.
If there is a goal to creation, it has to take place in the context of freedom. If God brings creation to a specific goal; God MUST be involved.
God acts through human freedom, humans are co-creators with God.
God acts not through force, but through inspiration, through allurement, or through persuasion.