Existence Of God Research Articles

On Tang Junyi’s Critique of Anselm’s Argument for the Existence of God

Anselm’s argument for the existence of God posits that the concept of God inherently implies its existence. Tang Junyi critiques this argument from two fundamental angles. Firstly, he argues that the contingency of human thought places an unwarranted burden of proof on the existence of God, introducing an inherent contradiction within the argument’s premise. Secondly, he contends that Anselm’s argument fails to deduce the existence of God from empirical things. Tang’s empirical approach to critiquing the argument bears a superficial resemblance to St. Thomas Aquinas’s cosmological argument for God’s existence, yet a profound difference exists between the two, precluding their equivalence. Delving deeper, Tang’s critique is rooted in the Confucian philosophy. Nevertheless, Tang’s critique, while insightful, does not fully dismantle Anselm’s argument, underscoring the intrinsic differences and tensions between Chinese and Western perspectives on religion and philosophy.

Maimonides and Spinoza on perfection in knowing and affect

This article develops the ideas of perfection and education in Spinoza and Maimonides. Both thinkers identify human perfection with intellectual knowledge and a transformation in affect. They accordingly envision education in terms of enhancing cognition and shaping the desire to know. The first steps are a critical evaluation of imagination and the development of the mind’s rational, inferential powers. These steps stabilize and strengthen our positive affects, and they arouse a desire for what Spinoza calls the third kind of knowing and Maimonides calls intellectual apprehension. Individuals achieve this highest perfection by degrees, if at all. Spinoza argues that the more the body can undergo, the more we know, the more active and hence the more perfect we are, and the more joy, love, and satisfaction we experience. Spinoza calls the third kind of knowing both scientia intuitiva and amor dei intellectualis. Maimonides’s perfect human being experiences an intellectual apprehension of the existence of God and receives flashes of insight concerning aporetic metaphysical questions. Although Spinoza’s amor dei intellectualis transforms the knower’s way of living, it is not explicitly political. Maimonides’ model of the perfect human is Moses, whose intellectual apprehension brings about a passionate love for God and eventuates in prophecy, which Maimonides theorizes as the overflow of intellectual attainment through imagination. Moses is the most perfect prophet, the one who founds and organizes a community.

Creation as divine absence: A metaphysical reframing of the problem of evil

Abstract The philosophical ‘problem of evil’ goes back at least as far as Epicurus and has remained a powerful argument against the existence of God in contemporary philosophy. The argument is rooted in apparent contradictions between God’s divine attributes and various conditions of human existence. But these contradictions arise only given certain assumptions of what we should expect both God and the world to be like given God’s existence. In this article, I argue that we can utilise the work of the twentieth-century French philosopher Simone Weil to craft a coherent metaphysical picture of God, creation, and suffering that rejects these common assumptions. Further, I contend that this picture very plausibly follows from commonly accepted tenets of traditional monotheism. Given this, I argue that this Weil-inspired framework provides serious reasons for reframing the problem of evil and its corresponding theodicies by presenting a radically different view of how God must relate to creation. Yet, this picture does not necessarily vindicate the theist. I argue that this picture may leave us with a new question about creation in the face of evil. Namely, is it possible to understand God’s initial creative act as Weil describes it – as an act of love?

THE ISSUE OF WAHDAT AL-WUJUD IN ALISHER NAVOI ONTOLOGICAL PHILOSOPHY

This article is devoted to the problem of unity, which is the subtlest and mysterious problem related to existence, widespread in Muslim oriental philosophical schools. The problem of Wahdat al-Wujud (the existence of God), along with its pluralistic nature in Eastern philosophy, tried to shed light on the extremely ignorant approaches put forward by extremely fanatical trends and sects, their quality as a weapon of the dominant political ideology. The article reveals a subject in the philosophical heritage of the great thinker Alisher Navoi with very simple examples, with examples from the works of enlightenment, mysticism, and provides scientific and analytical conclusions.

God and Purported Logical Arguments from Evil and Suffering

Abstract Logical arguments from evil against the existence of God are the strongest form of arguments from evil. They maintain that the all-good, all-powerful God of traditional theism is logically incompatible with the evil in the world. Given that the most well-known logical argument from evil remains the argument put forward by John Mackie over fifty years ago, I begin by setting out Mackie’s argument in detail as well as Alvin Plantinga’s well-regarded critique of it. I then discuss Mackie’s not well-known confusing response to Plantinga’s critique along with attempts by Hugh LaFollette and Quentin Smith to support Mackie’s argument, which fail to take into account Mackie’s own concession to Plantinga’s critique. I then discuss my own attempt in 2019 to provide a Mackie-style logical argument from evil and the reception it has received. I end by suggesting that further discussion might best be pursued by taking up the related question of whether an objective ethics can by adequately supported without appealing to the existence of the God of traditional theism.

PSICOLOGIA DA RELIGIÃO: VERTENTES DA ESPIRITUALIDADE INTEGRADAS À PSICOLOGIA

The presence of spirituality in the daily life of society is indisputable, even those who say they have no religious affiliation believe in the existence of a God or a superior force that helps to deal with traumas, conflicts and/or decision-making. Psychology comprises a branch of fundamental questions with in-depth discussions about the integrative aspects of the human being. Spiritual questions aim to establish answers to the invisible, in the belief and faith of the community, presenting themselves as a tool for integration in therapeutic management. The study is highly necessary, as it addresses the bio-psycho-social-spiritual being that resides in each man and woman. On the other hand, reaffirm that spirituality cannot be ignored when it is manifested in the therapeutic environment, as the aforementioned manifestation comes from the subjective element of that being.

An Inquiry on Ancient Natural Theology: The Milesians

Natural theology is a branch of philosophy that employs empirical and logical methods to gain insight into the nature of God and His attributes. The fundamental structure of natural theology is derived from the tenets of religion and the essential concerns of metaphysics, a branch of philosophy. The arguments for the existence of God represent a central aspect of religious discourse. Consequently, natural theology is situated at the nexus of religion and philosophy. The investigation of the nature of God is a pursuit that has been undertaken since the earliest periods of human history. Nevertheless, within the context of Western philosophy, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Greek tradition. In the last century, there has been a tendency to approach the Pre-Socratics with a certain degree of bias. These philosophers have been viewed in two distinct ways: either as evangelists of the prophetic path or as scientists whose focus was solely on nature itself and who made no theological claims. This paper aims to examine the possibility of offering an alternative interpretation of their philosophical contributions from the perspective of natural theology. It is proposed that exploring the historical context could provide new insights into the study of philosophy and religion. Scholars engaged in the field of the philosophy of religion and those specializing in the history of philosophy may gain new perspectives by tracing the footprints of natural theology within the surviving fragments of the Milesian school.

Exploring Ethical Potentials of Christian Narrative Testimonies

Abstract Over the last decades, the role of narratives in Christian theology and ethics has been debated controversially. In light of this, this article explores the ethical potential of Christian narrative testimonies. First, it shows that the mode of Christian testimony to God’s incarnation in Jesus Christ is narratively structured. Second, it unfolds a threefold hermeneutic of these narratives: a hermeneutic of the simultaneous presence and absence of God in these testimonies, a hermeneutic of commentary and criticism, and a hermeneutic of attentive humility in the face of other narratives. Last but not least, ethical potentials of Christian narrative testimonies come into view: These narratives can bear witness to God’s absent presence, especially when they reveal themselves as radical contingent, when they are open to transformation by narratives of the other and when they motivate people to question the status quo of any given society in order to act for a more just future.

Moderating Natural Theology: A Heuristic Interrogative Approach

This article proposes an underappreciated value for traditional natural theology and its familiar arguments for the existence of God, without endorsing the soundness or the rational cogency of these arguments. Famously, Aquinas and Kant represent two extremes, with Aquinas endorsing some natural theology arguments for God’s existence and Kant opposing such arguments. This article recommends a moderating approach, on the grounds that while Aquinas is unduly optimistic here by the epistemic standards of many inquirers, Kant is too pessimistic regarding the heuristic value of the relevant natural theology arguments. The neglected heuristic value of these arguments, according to this article, is in their prompting in unique ways some challenging and fruitful questions for inquiry about God. The disputed natural theology arguments have not achieved anything near a consensus on their soundness or rational cogency, but they still can have significant heuristic value aside from their soundness or rational cogency. This article identifies the relevant fruitful questions and their theoretical importance for human inquiry about God. Ultimately, a heuristic interrogative approach to familiar arguments of natural theology gives these arguments a new role with resilient heuristic value for inquiry about God, even if they do not justify the belief that God exists. Such moderation, this article contends, is rationally defensible with regard to these arguments.

Exploitation and Isolation in W.H. Auden’s The Age of Anxiety: An Existentialist Perspective

Existentialism is a philosophical belief that explores the issues of existence and questions on the identities. European ideological concern on existentialism was strongly brought into debate from 1930s to the late 90s. It discusses the views of two distinct groups of the philosophers: the theists, who believe in the existence of God first, and the atheists, who reject this view and propose the existence of humans first. The objective of this paper is to study about individual feelings, fears, and ideas related to socio-economic downfall and the structural loss of social prestige and position. It also deals with exploitation, isolation, domination, deprivation and it raises the questions on identity issues. Poverty, sexual exploitation, injustice and insecurity are the weapons of identity politics to seek the values of ‘I’ in existentialism. This study, applies Jean-Paul Sartre, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Soren Kierkegaard, Martin Buber, Gabriel Marcel and Karl Jaspers’ ideas explored in existentialist philosophy as methodological tools to analyze the experiences of Malin, Quant, Emble, and Rosetta in Auden’s ‘The Age of Anxiety.’

Encounters with the Absolute – The Absolute as Encounter

Abstract This article explores the contingency of the encounter between Jesus of Nazareth as representative of YHWH and Mary Magdalene that occurs at Jesus’s tomb. It interprets two important passages from the Gospel of Mark (Mk 16:1–8) and the Gospel of John (Jn 20:11–18) in order to reflect upon the Absolute which arises from this encounter. In Mark’s Gospel, the result of the encounter is the reference to a never-derivable and unrepresentable beginning, on which the text of Mark is built. The Gospel of John, which refers to Mark, concretizes this as the beginning of love and the covenant partnership between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. It is a contingent encounter because there is no external necessity for it. The crucial point is that the event of God only manifests itself in unforeseen encounters. Therefore the experience of an encounter which sets a new beginning in motion and the existence of God are inextricably linked.

Kebangkitan sebagai Manifestasi Kuasa Allah: Pendekatan Historis-Kritis terhadap Matius 22:23-33 dalam Kontras Keyakinan Yudaisme Reformasi dan Kristen

This study aims to analyze the concept of resurrection in Christian and Reform Judaism beliefs, emphasizing that resurrection is a manifestation of God's power over life and death. The study contrasts the Christian belief, which regards resurrection as an integral part of faith, with the Reform Judaism view, which generally rejects resurrection as a literal fact. Using the Historical-Critical interpretation method and a qualitative approach, this research analyzes Matthew 22:23-33 through inner-text and inter-text approaches to reveal its theological meaning and context. The findings show that resurrection is not merely a theological doctrine in the Christian faith, but also serves as evidence of God's power over life and death, aligning with the belief that those who die in faith in God will be resurrected. In conclusion, this research makes a significant contribution to the theological understanding of resurrection, highlights its distinction from Reform Judaism beliefs, and reinforces the role of resurrection as a key element in Christian faith.

Bataille and Wittgenstein: on mysticism, silence, and inner experience

ABSTRACT Despite differences, Georges Bataille, theorist of non-knowledge and atheology, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, the Austrian logician, share specific parallels regarding their understandings of language and mystical experience. For both, mystical experience pushes beyond conventional discourse. Using analogous elements of critical and mystical discourse, each express rather antiphilosophical, spiritual visions. Still, Wittgenstein’s deeply private and agnostic Christianity sharply contrasts Bataille’s own atheological experience of the death of God. Where Bataille’s mysticism challenges rationality, Wittgenstein’s instead expresses the numinous world as such, shedding light on the dark night of Bataille and the specific character of ‘inner experience’. Where Wittgenstein advocates either clarity of expression or silence, however, the transgressive and poetic syntax of Bataille, alongside his evocative and erotic usage of imagery and metaphor, instead presses precisely against the impossibility for words that Wittgenstein’s thinking forecloses. Silence, like evil and poetry for Bataille, is active and imperative to communication, opening itself against the closure of reason. Relative to Wittgenstein and Christianity’s ascent to knowledge and awareness then, Bataille instead dives down deep into the body and night of nonknowledge. In this way, paradoxically, Bataille’s atheological writings approach a new summit of communication only attainable in the absence of God.

John Damascene’s Arguments about the Existence of God: A Logico-Philosophical and Religio-Hermeneutic Approach

The Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith is perhaps the most logically structured and inspired work not only in the oeuvre of the seventh-to-eighth-century theologian John Damascene, but most likely throughout the entire Greek Patristic literature. As such, the Exact Exposition definitely presents some quite intriguing features, such as the prolific use of logical distinctions, syllogisms, or full-fledged arguments, to name a few. Regarding the latter, John Damascene’s use of certain arguments in order to prove the existence of God not only hold a unique place in Byzantine theology but have also exercised a tremendous influence on Eastern Orthodox apologetics. However, what I would call his rationalization agenda comes not only with merits but with faults as well. It is to both these that the present study draws attention by evaluating them logico-philosophically and interpreting them religio-hermeneutically. What is of special interest is the fact that John Damascene’s logical faults are the most interesting parts of his theologizing.

EDMUND T. WHITTAKER, PHYSICS AND CATHOLICISM. THOUGHTS OF A CONVERT

In 1951, Pope Pius XII gave a long speech with the unequivocal title ‘The proofs for the existence of God in the light of modern natural science’, dealing with the relationship between modern science, Thomism and theology. The event was widely reported in the British press partly because the only living scientist quoted in that discourse was the Edinburgh emeritus professor of mathematics and convert to Catholicism, Edmund T. Whittaker (1873–1956), who was, in the 1930s and 1940s, producing his own corpus on the then-popular subject of science and religion. In this article, using the vast and unexplored correspondence between Whittaker and his son, the mathematician John M. Whittaker (1905–1984), I shall explore his thoughts and popular works, in which he mixed modern physics and mathematics, philosophy, apologetics, and theology. Whittaker is well known among historians of science for his A history of the theories of aether and electricity , the work of a hard-working, self-trained history aficionado. Similarly, after his conversion (in 1930, at the age of 57), Whittaker started reading and forming his own views around the official philosophy of the Catholic Church, Thomism. The core idea with which he justified his conversion and which would be the backbone of his speculations on natural theology was ‘sacramentality’. With it, he thought he could bridge the gap between mathematics, modern physics, and religion, and all with a sui generis embrace of Thomism.

The Concept of an Ideal State According to Fundamentalists: An Analysis of Abu Al Ala Al Maududi's Thoughts and Its Implications for Multicultural Countries

This research examines the concept of the ideal state according to the views of Islamic fundamentalists, namely Abu Al Ala Al Maududi, and its implications for multicultural countries such as Indonesia. Fundamentalism is always attached to certain religious groups that want the purification of religious teachings. Fundamentalists usually believe in the existence of literal (textual) truth, which is usually sourced from holy books that are absolute and basic. The method used in this research is qualitative, with a literature study as the basis for data collection and analysis. The results of this study are Al Maududi's thoughts about the state with the concept of government, which is based on three things, namely Universe, Al Hakimiyah Al Ilahiyah, and power in the field of legislation, which recognizes the Law of Allah SWT as the highest law in the world, and sovereignty, which is only owned by Allah SWT (God's sovereignty), or what is known as a limited popular sovereignty under the suzerainty of God, cannot be applied in Indonesia, even though Indonesia is a country that recognizes the existence of God, which is expressed through the ideology of Pancasila and the Indonesian Constitution. The implication is that if applied in a multicultural country like Indonesia, it will cause conflict and disintegration. In addition, it is feared that it will also cause discrimination against minorities and hegemonize the majority group.

Argumentasi Rasional Eksistensi Tuhan

This research aims to examine and reiterate the arguments used by Islamic scholars regarding the existence of God, by incorporating contemporary evidence supporting the validity of these arguments. Simultaneously, it aims to refute the atheist's assumption that the existence of God is impossible to scientifically prove. This study employs qualitative, descriptive, and analytical methods, along with a philosophical approach to the arguments presented in revelation and those used by Islamic scholars regarding the existence of God. The research is categorized as library research, drawing from classical and contemporary books, relevant scientific journals, or articles related to the study. Islamic scholars, based on the Quran and Sunnah, have put forth various rational arguments for the existence of God. However, in the modern era, atheistic and agnostic groups are increasing, and their movements are extensive and structured in advocating their ideologies. Hence, there is a need to reexamine the arguments of the scholars, presenting them more explicitly with updates and additional contemporary facts, both from scientific perspectives and the testimonies of atheists or agnostics who affirm the existence of God. The results of this research indicate that the existence of God is a truth easily provable through reason and logic that is inherently certain.

Analogy and Aquinas’s ‘Ontotheology’

My article explains Aquinas’s ecstatic reaction to his metaphysical conclusions in contrast to Heidegger’s dower reactions to ontotheology. I take advantage of some scholarship in my recently published monograph, ‘Thomistic Existentialism and Cosmological Reasoning’. Aquinas’s philosophical joy is rooted in the mind’s ability to discover sameness-in-difference, in other words, analogical conception. The discovery of analogy places the human mind in contact with an intelligible object, or commonality, that is far richer than portrayed in the different instances, as stunning as those different instances can be. Esse commune is one such commonality in different particular esses. Aquinas employs the analogon of esse commune to craft a representation of his metaphysical conclusion of esse subsistens. Consequently, Aquinas’ metaphysics and its proof of God as subsistent esse confronts the philosopher not only with a stunning intelligible object but a stunning intelligible object that is also a reality. This conclusion evokes all of the emotions of analogical conceptualisation and presents the possibility of a direct encounter with an analogical object.

Benefits of vedic learning for improving competence and strengthening mental health

Background: The Vedas are an ancient library that is the source or book for the Hindu religion. the Vedas are used as the main guidelines and their teachings are implemented in the daily lives of Hindus. In addition to being a holy book, the Vedas also contain many values contained therein. Tattwam, Susila, upakara are three basic frameworks in Hinduism that need to be considered in the 21st century. Method: This research uses a qualitative method focusing on text analysis, which involves in-depth examination of written materials based on their context. The study aims to understand phenomena in their natural settings without manipulation, emphasizing the meaning and quality aspects rather than quantitative measures. Findings: There are many positive benefits of applying the vedic teachings in daily life. By realizing the existence of God, implementing the teachings of Susila and the proper implementation of upakara in daily life. Not only as a guideline in carrying out the three basic frameworks in Hinduism but there are many other unexpected benefits gained through learning the vedas, be it in science, character building, making life easier and also in achieving success. Not only as a source of knowledge, but the vedas are also a source of medicine. This is contained in the Atharva Veda. Conclusion: The benefit of the vedas that is no less important is that the vedas are a source of Hindu Law (Dharma). Novelty/Originality in this Study: Using qualitative methods focusing on text analysis, this study explores the relevance of the Vedas in everyday life in the 21st century. The proposed platform includes an AI-based virtual assistant and a mobile application integrating Vedic teachings with contemporary knowledge.

Acculturation of religious values in early childhood: Central Sulawesi Educational Institutions

Background: Early Childhood Education Institutions (ECEIs) require a model for the cultivation of religious values from an early age. Religion encompasses fundamental values that strongly instil belief in the existence of God and promote harmonious relationships among individuals. This study examines the role of ECEIs in fostering religious values in early childhood.Aim: This study aims to explore the cultivation of religious values in early childhood, which includes philosophy and models of the cultivation of religious values.Setting: This research was conducted in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.Methods: Researchers chose five early childhood educational institutions with 30 participants, teachers, and managers of early childhood educational institutions. The analytical approach used is the Discovering Cultural Themes model.Results: The spirit of ‘Ing Ngarso Sung Tulodo, Ing Madya Mangun Karso, and Tut Wuri Handayani’ serves as the philosophy guiding teachers to act as role models, inspire enthusiasm, and recognise the potential of young children. This philosophy is broken down into four main themes: ‘I Love the Earth’, ‘I Love Indonesia’, ‘Playing and Cooperating/We Are All Brothers’, and ‘My Imagination and Creativity’. The cultivation model includes introduction, habituation, and exemplary actions by parents and teachers.Conclusion: Philosophical values are cultivated through recognition, habituation, and example. The acculturation model starts from the identification of religious and cultural values followed by institutionalisation and encouragement by teachers and parents.Contribution: The role of early childhood educational institutions in the acculturation of religious values is a vital characteristic of schools managed by the government and foundations in Indonesia.