Topic 2: Knowledge of God's Existence

Natural Theology

The view that human reason and observation of the world can discover God.

Revealed Theology

The view that God can only be known when He choose to show Himself.

Sensus Divinitatis

An innate, non-rational awareness of God embedded in every human soul.

Semen Religionis

The 'seed of religion' that causes humans to naturally create societies that worship.

Internal Conscience (Calvin)

Our moral compass, functioning as the literal voice of the Sensus Divinitatis.

Human Reason (Natural Theology)

The brain's design to perceive cause and logic, allowing us to deduce a Creator.

The Created World as a 'Mirror'

Calvin's metaphor for the universe reflecting and displaying God's attributes.

Spark of Awareness

An immediate, intuitive realization of God triggered by observing natural complexity.

Epistemic Distance

The massive intellectual and spiritual gap that exists between humans and God.

The Fall (Impact on Reason)

The corruption of the human mind by Original Sin, making reason blind and arrogant.

Cupiditas

Selfish desires that distort human reason, leading to the creation of false idols.

Jesus Christ (in Revealed Theology)

The ultimate revelation and literal embodiment of God entering human history.

Sacred Scripture

The historical record of God's self-revelation that corrects the errors of human reason.

Faith (Fides)

A supernatural gift from God giving absolute certainty beyond human logic.

Romans 1:20

St. Paul's defense of Natural Theology, stating creation leaves people 'without excuse'.

John 14:6

Jesus' statement 'I am the way...', justifying Revealed Theology as the exclusive path.

Emil Brunner (Human Nature)

Argued the Fall damaged human nature but did not totally erase it.

Anknüpfungspunkt

Brunner's term for the 'point of contact' in nature that allows us to see God's ordering.

Karl Barth ('NEIN!')

Barth's absolute rejection of natural theology, arguing the Fall totally destroyed human reason.

Barth's Warning on Natural Theology

Arrogant attempts to find God through reason create false idols (e.g., Nazi-supporting 'German Christians').

Universal Accessibility (AO2)

An argument for Natural Theology: anyone can appreciate a Creator by looking at the sky.

Philosophical Overlap (AO2)

An argument for Natural Theology: it builds a bridge between science/logic and faith.

Preserving Divine Sovereignty (AO2)

An argument for Revealed Theology: ensures salvation is a gift of grace, not intellectual achievement.

The Problem of Distortion (AO2)

An argument against Natural Theology: nature is highly subjective and contains cruelty (e.g., tsunamis).

The Aesthetics Argument

The argument that human appreciation of beauty cannot be explained by survival, proving a divine link.

The Argument from Excess

Evolution explains survival needs, but struggles to explain overwhelming, non-physical awe triggered by beauty.

Beauty as a Trigger (Calvin)

Beholding natural beauty sparks the 'semen religionis' (seed of religion) within human reason.

Imago Dei (AO2 Beauty Defense)

Human artistic creativity and emotional responses to beauty prove we are made in God's image.

Evolutionary Critique of Beauty (AO2)

Dawkins argues beauty appreciation is just an evolutionary preference for safe, fertile environments (savannah hypothesis).

The Problem of Ugliness (AO2)

Nature's cruelty (like parasites) shows that cherry-picking natural beauty creates a distorted view of God.

Divine Transcendence

The concept that God is completely outside, above, and independent of the material universe.

The Analogy of the Mosaic / Painting

Standing too close shows confusing blobs; stepping back reveals the artist's grand design.

Painting Analogy (Problem of Evil)

What looks like tragedies (ugly blobs) are necessary brushstrokes in God's eternal cosmic masterpiece.

John Calvin's 'Blinded Eye'

God's essence would blind us, so He accommodates Himself to our level like baby talk.

Thomas Aquinas (Analogical Language)

Since God is infinite, we cannot speak of Him literally but only through analogy.

Painting Analogy (AO2 Defense)

Explains why human reason fails to understand God's plans and humbles human arrogance.

Painting Analogy (AO2 Attack on Natural Theology)

Nature only shows a confusing, blurry mess; the Artist must explain it through Revelation.

Antony Flew's Critique (Painting Analogy)

Calling bad events 'hidden master plans' makes God unfalsifiable and meaningless.

The Moral Argument (Natural Theology)

The view that our internal sense of right and wrong is hardwired to God.

John Calvin on Conscience

Conscience is an internal echo of God's absolute moral law within the Sensus Divinitatis.

Sigmund Freud's Critique of Conscience

Conscience is the Superego, the internalized voice of parents and societal conditioning.

Universal Consent Argument (Consensus Gentium)

The historical argument that a seed of religion is physically built into human DNA.

Cicero on Universal Consent

Every culture, no matter how isolated, practices some form of religion or worship.

Secular Critique of Universal Consent

Universal worship only proves the human brain evolved to find patterns and fear death.

The Order and Teleology Argument

Calvin's view of the universe as a theater where natural order reveals a cosmic architect.

Karl Barth's Critique of Teleology

Nature's decay and disease mean natural theology yields a terrifying, chaotic god.