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The Philosophy of Christianity

The Philosophy of Christianity. Scholasticism. Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274). Dominican Monk Primary work was Summa Theologica Wanted to make a science of faith Christian philosophy: “Reason does not destroy faith but perfects it”. Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274).

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The Philosophy of Christianity

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  1. The Philosophy of Christianity Scholasticism

  2. Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274) • Dominican Monk • Primary work was Summa Theologica • Wanted to make a science of faith • Christian philosophy: “Reason does not destroy faith but perfects it”

  3. Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274) • Combined medieval theology and Aristotelian philosophy • Aristotle explained what things are • Aquinas explained how they got that way • God did it

  4. Omnipotence: God is perceived doctrinally as all-powerful. God created the world ex-nihilo (from nothing) Immutability: God is unchanging. Eternally: God exists at any and all moments of time. Omniscience: God is all-knowing. God knows in a way beyond human understanding. Omni-benevolence: God is all good. God’s Divine Attributes

  5. Summa Theologica • 631 Questions on Christian Philosophy • Existence of God • Creation of women • Economics/Charity • Free will • Natural Law • Evil

  6. The Problem of Evil • If the Cosmic Designer is the theistic, omnipotent and benevolent God, then why is the world so full of evil? • Mass destruction/War • Disease • Creatures torturing and killing other creatures • Disco • Pain • Illness • Why would a benevolent God let such things happen? • Why would an omnipotent God create a world where such things have to happen?

  7. Does God Exist? • At the beginning of Summa Theologica, Thomas Aquinas admitted that the existence of evil is the best argument against the existence of God. So? Either God exists and Evil doesn’t or God doesn’t exist and Evil does

  8. Objections & Responses • Objection 1: There is evil so God can’t exist. • Objection 2: Nature and Will explain everything. • Response 1: Evil exists to produce good. • Response 2: Nature needed something to start it. Will needs a direction.

  9. “The existence of God can be proved in five ways” • Argument from Motion • Efficient Cause • Possibility and Necessity • Gradation to be Found in Things • Governance of Things

  10. Argument from Motion • Something set the universe in motion • Sounds like Isaac Newton “borrowed” from Aquinas • For Christians, that something was God • “Prime Mover” Theory

  11. Efficient Cause • Aristotle, Aquinas and the causal argument • If A causes B, and B causes C, then A causes C • But what happens if A does not occur? Neither B nor C will occur either • The causal chain must, therefore, have a beginning, and that beginning is God • God is A

  12. From Possibility to Necessity • In Nature things that are possible are either, to be - they are created, or not to be, they are destroyed • If at one time nothing was in existence, it would have been impossible for anything to have begun to exist • Big Bang Theory? • Every necessary thing is caused by another • God caused everything to exist • “Creator” Theory

  13. Argument of Perfection • Things in the world are in gradations of less or more: good, noble, hot • Therefore there must be something that is best, or perfect and that is… • Mr. Kelly

  14. Argument of Perfection • Things in the world are in gradations of less or more: good, noble, hot • Therefore there must be something that is best, or perfect and that is… • God

  15. Governance of Things • Things that lack being are imperfect • Natural/imperfect bodies act for an end, to obtain the best result • They achieve their goal not by chance, but by design • Who ordered things to their end, directed them, God, in the same way that “the arrow is directed by the archer” • “Intelligent Design” Theory

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