Definitions of God

Simple
1. God is God
  1. He cannot be broken down or put into parts
  2. Anselm says: "That than which nothing greater can be conceived"
    1. God must exist in reality
  3. God's existence and nature are the same thing
2. Immaterial
  1. God is not made of material or characteristics
  2. God cannot change - He is perfect
  3. Aquinas' necessary being
    1. A being separate from time and space
3. Immutable
  1. God is perfect and therefore is unchangeable
  2. Anything that changes is part of the changing world - God is distinct from the changing world
  3. Something unchanging can logically be the cause of the created world that changes
Omniscient
1. All - knowing
2. God is aware of all that people do with complete knowledge of the universe and how it came into existence
3. Limited
  1. Gods knowledge is limited to what is logically true
  2. He chooses to limit himself to allow us free will
  3. Everlasting
4. Unlimited
  1. God it outside of time
  2. Has knowledge from beginning to end
  3. Eternal God
Omnipotent
1. All - powerful
2. Logically Possible
  1. God's power is infinite(without limit)
  2. God is perfect He does what is logically possible as a perfect being
    1. Cannot sin
    2. Cannot act physically
3. Logically impossible
  1. God can change the fundamental laws of physics
    1. Miracle worker
    2. A games designer can change the rules of their game
  2. Rene Descartes: "For nothing is impossible for God
Omnibenevolent
1. All - loving
2. God is perfect
  1. As a perfect being it is impossible for God to do evil
  2. He is the standard all human beings should strive for
3. God has desire for perfection
  1. God is omnipotent and so has the ability to do evil but chooses to be omnibenevolent to fulfill His role as the ultimate perfect being
Creator
1. Ex - deo
  1. God created the universe out of His very substance
  2. Process theism: the universe can be conceived as God's 'body'
    1. When God suffers we suffer, when we grow God grows
2. Ex - materia
  1. God was created out of pre - exisitng material
  2. Aristotle: no efficient cause to God and the universe - they have always been there
    1. God imposed order and form upon it
3. Ex - nihilo
  1. God was created from nothing
  2. Is His own agent
  3. God as origin of everything explains God's absolute mastery over everything
Transcendent and Immanent
1. Transcendent
  1. To exist 'above' or 'seprate' from
  2. God is 'above' - beyond all experience and understanding (unknown and unknowable), He is on a higher level
  3. God is timeless and unchangeable - He cannot be with beings that changing in time
2. Immanent
  1. Exists within, with us, within the universe
  2. God works within human affairs
    1. Miracle worker
  3. Links with creation ex - deo: God is physically existing with us
Eternal - timeless & everlasting
1. Timeless/Eternal- Boethius
  1. Defines God as changeless
    1. Separate from time
      1. All time is presented 'simultaneously' to God
      2. 'one glance'
  2. God does not need to learn anything new - He is simple/perfect
2. Timeless - Aquinas
  1. God exists without beginning or end (unendingly)
  2. Outside of time
    1. Because time is made up of beginnings and endings
  3. God is: uncaused, unmoved and necessary
    1. Humans are caused, moved and contingent
3. Everlasting - Swinburne
  1. God always exists and will exist without end
  2. Reactive and Responsive
    1. Everlasting God fits more satisfactorily with God revealed in The Bible
    2. Joshua In Battle
    3. The Parting of The Red Sea
  3. Exists within time but without end

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Definitions of God

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	Created by Stephanie Brennan over 8 years ago