In orthodox Christianity, myth in scripture makes objectifying claims on the real universe. With the prevalence of scientific reasoning in modern time, however, many theologians, including Earnest Wright, have seen a need to demythologize our understanding of historical biblical events in order to allow them to rationally fit into our understanding of the laws of nature. In so attempting to demythologize, as Langdon Gilkey points out, many theologians have rendered the scriptural language meaningless because, for example, saying, “The Hebrews saw God as acting,” does not make any claim as to what God actually did. Rudolf Bultmann’s approach to interpreting scripture uniquely preserves the meaning of God as acting while effectively eliminating the problem of biblical incompatibility with the natural universe by repositioning God’s action into a personal frame of reference. Bultmann, who was heavily influenced by existentialist philosophy, notes that the realm of existential faith is much different than the realm of science and history, and he proposes an analogical alternative for scripture that is within this faith realm. For Schubert Ogden this solution works but needs to be adjusted. He has two valid critiques of Bultmann’s proposition: it does not provide an analogy with which to understand a demythologized God, and it reverts back to myth in describing Christ’s significance. Ogden develops solutions that successfully address both of the problems he finds in Bultmann. He proposes a meaningful analogy of God and God's action while maintaining the existentialist subjectivity of Bultmann, and he presents a demythologized Christology while preserving the peculiarity of Christ so important to Christianity.
As Ogden points o...
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...cial by realizing the necessity of describing faith in the unobjectifying terms of the existential. Unfortunately two problematic issues exist in his proposal. Both problems are successfully solved by Schubert Ogden. Ogden supplements Bultmann’s work by adding an analogy for understanding God through existentialism, and he further acheives Bultmann’s goal because he demythologizes Christ while maintaining Christ’s significance as a special source for self-realization.
Works Cited
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Ogden, Schubert. “What Sense Does it Mean to Say, ‘God Acts in History?’.” God's Activity in the World: The Contemporary Problem. Ed. Owen Thomas. Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1983. 77-100. PDF File.
8- McDermid, Douglas. "God's Existence." PHIL 1000H-B Lecture 9. Trent University, Peterborough. 21 Nov. 2013. Lecture.
St. Thomas Aquinas presents five arguments to demonstrate the existence of God. However, this paper focuses on the fifth argument. The fifth argument is regarded as the Teleological Argument and states that things that lack intelligence act for some end or purpose. While the fifth argument satisfies God’s existence for Aquinas, some contemporary readers would argue that Aquinas neglects the laws of physics. Others argue that Aquinas allows a loophole in his argument so that the Catholic conception of God is not the only intelligent designer.
Taylor’s “From God’s Determinations” and Wheatley; s “Thoughts on the Work of Providence” project the feelings of love, faith, and dedication they have toward their religion. Both texts are fine examples of two men writing how they feel, giving accounts of what they believe, and explaining how God, a supernatural being, has played an important role in the shaping their lives through the many acts of miracle He has performed such as creating the Earth. To explain in further detail, both Taylor and Wheatley are constantly inserting examples of what their God has done throughout each text. It is made obvious to the reader that both men are very spiritual
Bultmann, R. (n.d.). The Task of Demythologizing the New Testament Proclamation. In The Mythological Element in the Message of the New Testament and the Problem of its Re-interpretation Part 1 (pp. 1-25). New York, New York: Harper & Row
The Canadian philosopher J.L. Schellenberg has recently put forward an argument for atheism based on the idea that God is supposed to be perfectly loving and so would not permit people to be deprived of awareness of his existence. If such a deity were to exist, then, he would do something to reveal his existence clearly to people, thereby causing them to become theists. Thus, the fact that there are so many non-theists in the world becomes good reason to deny the existence of God conceived of in the given way. I first raise objections to Schellenberg’s formulation of the argument and then suggest some improvements. My main improvement is to include among the divine attributes the property of strongly desiring humanity’s love. Since to love God requires at least believing that he exists, if God were to exist, he must want widespread theistic belief. The fact that so many people lack such belief becomes a good argument for atheism with respect to God conceived of in the given way. Some objections to this line of reasoning are considered, in particular the claim that God refrains from revealing himself to people in order to avoid interfering with their free will or to avoid eliciting inappropriate responses from them or some other (unknown) purpose. An attempt is made to refute each of these objections.
Throughout our course we have read and considered many ideas, however for the duration of this paper I will focus on two core ideas. These are the ideas that God is the first efficient cause and whether God is good. For the duration of this paper I will look at Aquinas’s five ways, Hume’s refutation of God being the efficient cause. Also Dostoevsky’s and Hume’s explanation that God is not good because of the abundance of pain. Throughout the class what I have come to learn and was most impacted by is that God is not what we prescribe him to be in our different religions. Also the arguments that always stood out for me were the arguments of Hume and his skepticism. It is my goal through this paper to explain that God is not the entity
Hick, John. Disputed Questions in Theology and the Philosophy of Religion. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993. Print.
The. 1987 Lopez, Kathryn Muller. Read Daniel: Negotiating The Classic Issues Of The Book. Review & Expositor 109.4 (2012): 521-530. ATLASerials, a Religion Collection.
Slezak, P. "Gods of the State: Atheism, Enlightenment and Barbarity." Politics and Religion in the New Century: Philosophical Reflections (2009): 20. Web. 20 Oct. 2012.
and experience: the study of God and God’s relation to the world: a system of religious beliefs or
Through Thomas Berry and Karl Barth we understand the existence of God within immanent theology and transcendent theology.
Hugo Meynell's book is a clear example of the growing interest in apologetics. Meynell considers four common objections to Christian doctrine, the belief in God is morally irrelevant; that there is no reason to believe in the special claims of Christianity over those of non-Christian religions. Meynell, also says no sense can be made of the doctrines of Incarnation, Atonement, and the Trinity and that Christian doctrine about life after death is based upon an indefensible view of the nature of human persons-and shows to his own views that these remarks can be met. It should be noted that Meynell on the prior assumption that God exists. This is not because Meynell takes that assumption to be indefensible or incapable of demonstration; it is rather that the existence of God is not his topic in this book.
A Christian apologetic method is a verbal defense of the biblical worldview. A proof is giving a reason for why we believe. This paper will address the philosophical question of God’s existence from the moral argument. The presuppositional apologetic method of Reformed thinkers Cornelius Van Til and John Frame will be the framework. Topics covered here could undoubtedly be developed in more depth, but that would be getting ahead, here is the big picture.
2) Gollwitzer, Helmut. The Existence of God: As Confessed By Faith. Philadelphia: The Westminister Press, 1965
This essay will explain and critique divine command theory. First, divine command theory will be defined. Second, two key arguments for divine command theory will be described. Third, criticisms will be raised against cultural relativism. Last, a final assessment of divine command theory will be given.