Notes on Knowledge of God's Existence in accordance with the OCR Religious Studies specification. The notes provide information, scholars, ideas and quotes compiled from various resources from both within and outside of the curriculum.
Natural Knowledge of God’s Existence (knowledge of God based on reason)
- Aquinas defends natural theology from original sin by asserting before the
fall there were three goods in humanity: human soul (rationality), inclination
towards good and perfect justice (rational control)
- after the fall we lost perfect justice which explains our lack of control over
our desires, but our reason and inclination to good remain
- Sometimes, therefore, humans are capable of using uncorrupted reason to
arrive at truths of God and natural moral law
Aesthetic Principle: Tennant argues humans have an ability to appreciate art and
beauty despite this not serving a survival or biological function. ‘nature is not just
beautiful in places; it is saturated with beauty.’
Sensus Divinitas
- Calvin argued all humans have an innate sense of Go which doesn’t require
faith
- ‘there is within the human mind and indeed by natural instinct an
awareness of divinity.’ Calvin
- this is challenged by atheism and Hume’s defence of atheism which suggests
it isn’t innate for all
- Plantinga defends Calvin as sin alters insight and knowledge which explains
why some don’t have the sensus divinitas as they’re clouded by sin. However,
this is a generalisation with little factual backing particularly as countries
with higher rates of atheism have lower rates of crime
- supported by Catholic doctrine, ‘the desire for God is written in the
human heart, because man is created by God.’ Catechism of the Catholic
Church
Strengths
1. every human society has some form of religion which aligns with the idea we
are naturally disposed to know God
2. St Paul’s writing of the Athenians who had an altar for an unknown God, Paul
argues they had a desire to know the one true God even if they were unaware
of this Acts 17:16
3. natural law is an indication of human’s innate sense of goodness and
morality
Weaknesses
1. Natural theology is just general knowledge about God rather than knowledge
of God
Apparent Design and Purpose
- Aquinas argued although humans can’t understand God they can gain lower
knowledge of him. Reason provides a valid basis for supporting faith, rather
than following it blindly
- ‘faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to
the contemplation of truth.’ Pope John Paul II
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