Nature Of God Research Articles

Analysis of Patristic Interpretation of the “Shema” in Deuteronomy 6:4-5

The Patristic period stands as a pivotal era in the development of Christian doctrine, marked by profound theological and philosophical debates. Amidst these discussions, the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 retains its central importance for both Jewish and Christian faith traditions, offering insights into the nature of God. This paper explored the Patristic interpretation of the Shema, highlighting the perspectives of the Alexandrian and Antiochene Schools of thought. Key theological issues addressed include the monotheistic concept of God, the symbolic significance of Israel, the unity of God, and the Trinitarian debate. A historical approach was used where the views of selected theologians were explored within their socio-cultural and political settings. Drawing from African perspectives, the study reflected on the enduring relevance of these theological inquiries for contemporary society. Ultimately, the theological insights garnered from Patristic interpretations continue to inform and enrich modern theological discourse, bridging the gap between ancient wisdom and contemporary understanding. Keywords: God, Patristic Era, Shema, Trinity

Divine ambiguity: A philosophical inquiry into God’s uncertain decisions

The debate surrounding the nature and attributes of God as presented in the Bible has garnered significant attention and critique from various philosophical perspectives like Friedrich Nietzsche, Bertrand Russell and David Hume. This philosophical critique emphasises the inconsistency in the nature of God and challenges traditional theological beliefs. The expression of regret by the God of the Bible in Genesis 6:6 raises philosophical dilemmas regarding divine attributes and the problem of evil. The contradiction between God’s regret and the affirmation of his creation as good underscores fundamental questions about divine omniscience, omnipotence and benevolence. The presence of evil and suffering in the world poses a significant challenge to the notion of a loving and all-powerful God. Examples of human suffering, such as slavery, colonisation, apartheid and natural disasters, further highlight the complexity of reconciling divine attributes with the existence of evil. Philosophically analysing biblical narratives, such as the story of Job, Noah’s flood and the plagues of Egypt, raises ethical concerns regarding divine justice and the moral agency of humanity. Additionally, the indiscriminate punishment of innocent individuals in these narratives challenges the credibility of a benevolent and compassionate God. The philosophical inquiry into the problem of evil and natural disasters underscores the need for a nuanced understanding of divine attributes and their implications for human existence.Contribution: The study encourages reflection on key questions about the nature of divinity, the morality of divine actions, and the compatibility of traditional theology with rational thought. It highlights how inconsistencies in certain biblical accounts challenge those trying to balance faith with reason and scientific understanding. While some may view these narratives as metaphors or allegories, others find it difficult to align them with their intellectual beliefs, resulting in tensions between religious faith and scientific rationality.

Nature and Nature's God: A Philosophical and Scientific Defense of Aquinas's Unmoved Mover Argument. By DanielShields. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2023. Pp. 328. $75.00.

Nature and Nature's God: A Philosophical and Scientific Defense of Aquinas's Unmoved Mover Argument. By DanielShields. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2023. Pp. 328. $75.00.

God of Nature and Grace: A Reading of Pannenberg’s Doctrine of God

God of Nature and Grace: A Reading of Pannenberg’s Doctrine of God

Nature of God: Theological Debate and Implications of the Tauhid’s Sentences

Nature of God: Theological Debate and Implications of the Tauhid’s Sentences

Anthony Collins’s Non-Vindication of the Divine Attributes

Abstract Anthony Collins’s 1710 pamphlet A Vindication of the Divine Attributes is not a vindication of the divine attributes. But what precisely is it? I argue that Collins’s Vindication is best interpreted as a kind of prelude to his later Discourse of Free-Thinking (1713). The Vindication aims to show that our beliefs about the existence and nature of God cannot rest on the authority of the clergy. Instead we must, as Collins puts it, ‘impartially examine every thing (how Sacred soever it may appear … before [being] examin’d)’. Freethinking, Collins argues, must extend even so far as questioning the foundational principles of natural religion.

Aliran Ilmu Kalam dan Pokok-Pokok Pikirannya Masing-Masing

The school of Kalam science and its respective main points of thought. Kalam science, or Islamic theology, is a scientific discipline that discusses Islamic beliefs using rational methods and logical argumentation. This article discusses various schools in Kalam Science and their respective main points of thought. Some of the main schools in Kalam Science include:• Mu'tazilah: Mu'tazilah believed that the human mind is capable of understanding Islamic teachings rationally and that human actions are free. • Asy'ariyah: Asy'ariyah believes that human reason needs to be assisted by revelation to understand Islamic teachings and that human actions are not completely free. • Maturidiyah: Maturidiyah believes that human reason has an important role in understanding Islamic teachings, but revelation remains the main source knowledge.• Salafiyah: Salafiyah believes that the main source of Islamic knowledge is the Koran and Hadith, and that the use of reason in understanding religion must be limited. This article explains the differences in views between these schools in various theological aspects, such as the nature of God, free will, and destiny.

The Method in the Madness: Dionysus in the Arts of the Modern Era

This article, derived from my forthcoming book, examines how the irrational was represented through the juxtaposition of Dionysus and Apollo. Ever since Nietzsche’s Geburt der Tragödie, the polarity of the two gods has been codified in Western culture. However, while their discrepancy as opposites has been widely appropriated, little attention has been given to their similarities which can be found in classical art and literature and again from the Renaissance onwards, when Plato’s praise of “madness” was rediscovered, and images of Dionysian character were re-produced. This article briefly traces back the roots of Nietzsche’s ideas and confronts these with examples from the visual arts. It also re-considers the ancient Dionysus and his transformations across time, investigating which aspects of the god were favoured versus others. Bacchus, “id est vinum” recited a popular formula, but from Michelangelo to Caravaggio and beyond, this was not the only Dionysian guise to be known. While often depicted as a merrymaking god of nature, darker aspects could be chosen. It is the madness and disorder, as well as the reasons for their revelation (or omission) that are explored, in the belief that these provided the sources for Nietzsche’s dualistic formulations and many a modern “coniunctio oppositorum”.

John Zizioulas’ Trinitarian Ecclesiology

The ideas of the Orthodox theologian Bishop John Zizioulas (1931–2023) particularly focus on trinitarian ecclesiology. For him, the Trinity consists of Persons in communion, and the nature of God himself is relational. Trinitarian unity is therefore the prototype, and the Church is its reflection. The essence of the Church is communion, which results from the fact that the Trinity is communion. Zizioulas’ view of the Church is steeped in a trinitarian perspective. Zizioulas pointed out that the Church is based on the double divine economy: the work of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. The relationship of the Holy Trinity with the Church also has consequences for the structure of the Church. In this way, the Church becomes hierarchical in the sense in which the Holy Trinity itself is hierarchical: because of the specificity of the relationship. Becoming a person means breaking down the barriers of individualism and entering into communion life. This is realized in the Church through Baptism and Eucharist. The aim of the article is therefore an attempt to present and evaluate John Zizioulas’ concept of trinitarian ecclesiology.

Synchronizing Missio Dei with Process Theology and Theodicy

Since the second half of the 20th century, missiology has continued to elevate Missio Dei to a topic of the highest importance in theology. According to Missio Dei, the salvific mission is more theocentric than anthropocentric in that its actuality is wholly rooted in the nature of God. However, much work remains to be conducted to evaluate and reconcile the modern interpretation of the Missio Dei and its predecessor theological doctrines, to avoid illogicalities. Consequently, the responsibility to identify any discrepancies in the systematic knowledge of the Missio Dei falls on the broad shoulders of theology in general, but of missiology in particular. In keeping with this unavoidable intellectual duty, this article interrogates the literature on modern theodicies to improve the conceptualization of the Missio Dei and missionary God in the context of evil and human suffering. The inter-comparative analysis of the biblical Job serves to relate divine perfection and human suffering within process theodicy. Consequently, the intellectual enterprise of this work, with all its shortcomings, not only illuminates another facet of Missio Dei but also motivates further investigation to reconcile mission Dei with the reality of evil, free will, and human suffering.

Juedi Tiantong: The Religious Basis of the Relationship between Tian and Man in Ancient China

Juedi Tiantong occurred in ancient China and was the critical foundation for understanding the relationship between Tian and man in China. From the perspective of conceptual history, Juedi Tiantong not only shaped the metaphysical dimension of the concept of Tian, but also transformed the original religious form of communication between man and natural gods into the unity of human nature and Tiandao, which liberated the relationship between Tian and man from the religious field. Therefore, Juedi Tiantong should be regarded as the critical basis of the unity of heaven and man in Chinese philosophy. Furthermore, as an important religious revolution, Juedi Tiantong also affected people’s understanding of nature, which was mainly reflected in the recognition of astronomy and calendar reform. In ancient China, it was difficult to distinguish between humanity and astronomy, science and religion, and rationality and divinity. In this case, Juedi Tiantong also abstracted Tian, originally representing the physical sky, into a metaphysical concept. Accordingly, the concept of Tian in Chinese philosophy has not developed the same meaning of nature as Western civilization.

Typology of philosophical worldviews: pantheism and its varieties

The article is a continuation of the publication in which the authors proposed the identification of three types in the diversity of philosophical worldviews (naturalistic, pantheistic and transcendental), and also analyzed the first type. In this study, by analogy with the naturalistic worldview, the pantheistic worldview is considered for the adequacy of solving cardinal philosophical problems in it: the existence of the Absolute, the root cause of the universe and the source of movement, theodicy, the possibility of substantiating morality and humanism. According to the authors, unlike adherents of naturalism, which is unable to answer cardinal philosophical questions based on the concept of matter, pantheistic thinkers were fully aware of the necessity and inevitability of thinking about the Absolute. At the same time, it is pointed out that the Absolute of pantheism is not absolute, since it is not perfection. Because of this, within the framework of this worldview, theodicy is impossible (evil is forced to be placed in the Absolute itself), as well as the justification of freedom, without which, in turn, it is impossible to justify morality. The philosophical and methodological basis of the research is the phenomenological approach, according to which the cognitive intention should ensure the achievement of direct contact with an object that has a genuine essence, which makes it possible to fully reveal its existential content. The elements of scientific novelty are possessed not only by the conceptualization of types of philosophical worldviews carried out in a series of articles, but also by the author's division of pantheism into types: naturalistic (God in nature: B. Spinoza), genotheistic ("germination" of God into the world: Empedocles), mystical or panentheism (nature in God: F. Schelling, S. L. Frank), dynamic or dialectical (G. Hegel), existential (M. Heidegger). It is noted that with rare exceptions, Russian metaphysical thought, which developed within the framework of V. Solovyov's philosophy of unity, which was strongly influenced by the philosophical constructions of G. Hegel and F. Schelling, could not overcome the boundaries of panentheism and reach a worldview of a transcendent type, recognizing the transcendent as an ontological category and carrying out transcendence to it, relying on it, which can be to define it as spiritual cognition, the existential-phenomenological analysis of which is planned to be carried out in the next publication.

A Comparative Analysis of the Phenomenology of Time in the Works of John McTaggart and John Mbiti

The issue of time remains a topic of ongoing discussion in both theological and philosophical literature. Currently, within the field of theology, there is a significant focus on the concept of time, which is the subject of disputes regarding the nature of God’s eternity. These discussions involve inquiries into whether God exists outside of time or within it. Philosophical discussions often centre around the ontology and metaphysics of time, exploring whether time is characterised by a static or dynamic nature. This paper did not delve into the controversies surrounding God’s eternity. However, it focused on the phenomenology of time as discussed by two contrasting theorists, namely John McTaggart (1866-1925) and John Mbiti (1931-2019). McTaggart, an English philosopher, contends that time is unreal. According to the African scholar Mbiti, time is indeed real, but it moves in a reverse direction instead of the forward direction generally perceived in Western tradition. Consequently, Mbiti refutes the existence of the future. As far as is known, there are no existing comparison studies on these two experts. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to address this vacuum. The paper utilised comparative lenses to assess the metaphysical claims of these two thinkers about the phenomenology of time, intending to gain a deeper comprehension of time from their respective viewpoints. The process was executed in three sequential stages. It first analysed McTaggart’s explanation of time, and then proceeded to investigate Mbiti’s notion of time. Finally, a comparative examination was conducted before concluding. The conclusion is that McTaggart and Mbiti neglect to consider the potential existence of objective time, which would be independent of events, change, and motion. This paper adds to the field of philosophical theology, specifically focusing on modern debates on God and time. Keywords: John Mbiti, John McTaggart, the Phenomenology of Time, Sasa, Zamani.

Nature and Nature's God: A Philosophical and Scientific Defense of Aquinas's Unmoved Mover Argument by Daniel Shields (review)

Nature and Nature's God: A Philosophical and Scientific Defense of Aquinas's Unmoved Mover Argument by Daniel Shields (review)

God and Space

This paper inquires into the nature of God’s relationship to space. It explores two different views, one that God transcends space or exists aspatially and the other that God exists throughout space and so is spatially extended. It seeks to adjudicate the debate between these competing perspectives by weighing the principal arguments for and against each view.

Paradise lost: A classical epi

John Milton's "Paradise Lost" stands as a monumental work in the canon of English literature, embodying the classical epic tradition with its grand scope, profound themes, and poetic mastery. This abstract delves into the quintessential characteristics that classify "Paradise Lost" as a classical epic. The narrative unfolds against the cosmic backdrop of Heaven, Hell, and Earth, exploring the consequences of Adam and Eve's disobedience and their subsequent expulsion from the idyllic Garden of Eden. Milton weaves a tapestry of theological inquiry, grappling with the complexities of free will, theodicy, and the nature of God. The poem introduces a heroic protagonist in Adam, whose choices shape the destiny of humanity. Divine intervention, epic battles, and supernatural elements contribute to the poem's grandeur, while Milton's elevated language and incorporation of classical and biblical allusions elevate it to the status of an enduring masterpiece. "Paradise Lost" serves not only as an epic retelling of the biblical Fall but also as a didactic exploration of moral and spiritual themes, making it a timeless work that continues to captivate readers and scholars alike.

Foregrounding African Ontology/Epistemology: A Reading of Deuteronomy 23:3 and Ruth 4:18–22 Considering the Nature of God

Deuteronomy 23:3, says: “No … Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord”. This verse is motivated by a discriminatory tendency embedded in the ontology of the Deuteronomist. Interestingly, Deuteronomy 23:3 was used by Ezra-Nehemiah to discriminate against the “Moabites” during the Second Temple. Such ontology is countered by the author of Ruth in the narrative of Ruth during the Second Temple. This demonstrates an ontological “war” within the Bible itself. The primary contestation lies in whether God is exclusive or inclusive. This development necessitates a hermeneutics of suspicion. In the course of history, the “theology” of Deuteronomy has been used to grossly violate the human dignity of many God-fearing African people and many other people of the South for colonial purposes. To exacerbate the situation, there were persistent attempts from some quarters to universalise such a discriminatory biblical perspective. This would feed into the centre–periphery arrangement, with the centre feeding the periphery with such hermeneutics. For this reason, African scholars are implored to be very vigilant against ardent pressures put on the biblical texts by ontological, epistemological, and contextual biases of interpretations. Accordingly, Andrew Mbuvi identifies African Biblical Hermeneutics perfectly when he says it seeks to undo “the very construct of the ‘centre-periphery’ binary by allowing the possibility of multiple centres”). Kenneth Ngwa, thus, rightly asserts that African Biblical Hermeneutics considers African epistemologies and conditions “to be invaluable and legitimate contexts and resources in biblical interpretation”), drinking from our own wells). In consequence, this paper intends to set a dialogue between Deuteronomy 23:3 and Ruth 4:18–22. This paper aims to examine the understanding of God behind these verses. This paper will then compare the two theologies with the African philosophical concept of God. Harnessing the African concept of Ubuntu, this paper will de-ideologise the two texts and thus will provide a recommendation concerning the two texts.

Making sense of God incarnate: a neglected biblical resource

The doctrine of the Incarnation raises important questions about the person of Christ and the nature of God. The John 5 discourse where Jesus speaks about what it means to be ‘the Son’ is a neglected source of insight into these questions. The article presents a case for reading this discourse as a statement about the eternal dependence of the Son. This interpretation is backed up by reference to the Synoptic Gospels, the writings of Paul and the work of Augustine. The article does not advocate an Arian ontological subordinationism but a proposal concerning the personhood of the Son. The conclusion sets out some of the gains of this approach.

Unitatis amatrix natura Le problème de l’unité chez Pascal

This study aims to clarify the relationship between nature and God in Pascalian thought. This relationship is based on the concept of unity. In a letter of 1648, Pascal wrote that God is present in nature through the ontological and formal unity of things which represents perfect divine unity. A few years later, through his mathematical research, Pascal discovered the principle of double infinity which he considered to be the essential attribute of nature. The unity of nature is defined as the omnipresence of double infinity in nature. However, these two interpretations of unity are mutually exclusive because double infinity destroys all ontological and formal unity in things. The question is how Pascal maintains the relationship between nature and God if the principle of double infinity destroys formal unity in nature. The paper argues that the presence of the double infinite in nature does not destroy the relationship of resemblance and representation between nature and God but makes it more complex. The double infinite does not represent God in nature directly but is inscribed in things as the image of the hidden God.

중국 장백산 신성한 사물의 변천에 관한 연구

In order to diachronically examine the transformation of the sacred things of Changbai Mountain China, based on historical sources, the study focused on the hierophany that occurred in the relationship between the religious culture of the peoples of the space of Changbai Mountain. The research results are summarized as follows. In the pre-Qing Dynasty era, the natural gods and animal gods of Changbai Mountain appeared as sacred objects, during the Jin Dynasty, the Changbai Mountain Shrine appeared as sacred objects, and during the Qing Dynasty, the mountain itself appeared as a sacred object and the Wangji Temple appeared as sacred objects. In modern times, the Bagua Temple and the Shanshenlaobatou were given divine status and regarded as sacred. Currently, when it is transformed into a tourist destination, the newly designated sacred objects only serve as tourist resources. The sacred area of Changbai Mountain expanded from an area where ethnic groups worked for survival during the pre-Qing Dynasty when it came under the imperial regime, and shrank into a living area for immigrants during the modern era. Now, as it has been transformed into a tourist destination, the sacred area has disappeared.