On the Attributes of God

Abstract

The subject of the attributes of Deity was until recent times reserved for the speculations of theology and philosophy. Omniscience is attributed to God as early as Xenophanes (sixth century B.C.), in terms which are re-echoed in the Sibylline oracles and in Clement of Alexandria, and so down to Newton. Epicurus, who denied Providence, denied Divine omniscience at the same time. The doctrine of the attributes of God played a large part in mediaeval theology, both Christian and Muslim, and was copiously treated by the schoolmen in connection with the controversy over universals, with theodicy and with free will. The central problem was that of the relation between the unity and transcendence of God and the manifold variety of His attributes. To get rid of all trace of anthropomorphism, the individual attributes were resolved into so many manifestations of the idea of God itself, as an absolute Being or as infinite Love. The religious presupposition behind all this speculative activity was the belief in one only God, i.e., monotheism, dogmatised in accordance with the doctrine of revelation.