Nature + Attributes of God.
AO1 – Knowledge (15 questions)
What does it mean to say God is ‘Father Almighty’ in Christian belief?
Explain Descartes’ view of omnipotence and why God is not limited by logic or mathematics.
How does Descartes use the computer game designer analogy to explain God’s omnipotence?
What is Swinburne’s view of God’s omnipotence and logical possibility?
Can God sin, and how do different theists respond to this question?
How does Aquinas justify God’s inability to sin as compatible with omnipotence?
Compare Descartes’ and Aquinas’ views on whether God can sin.
What is divine self-limitation and how does it relate to God’s incarnation and creation?
How does Hartshorne explain God’s self-limitation after creation?
What is Aquinas’ distinction between primary and secondary causes?
What is meant by God’s omniscience, and what scriptural or philosophical support is there?
What is the difference between unlimited and limited omniscience?
What problem does Boethius identify between God’s timeless omniscience and human free will?
How does Boethius use God’s eternity to defend human free will?
How do Swinburne and Wolterstorff’s everlasting God views differ from Boethius’ timeless God?
AO2 – Evaluation / Analysis (15 questions)
How does Descartes’ definition of omnipotence make God’s power seem stronger?
What are the problems with Descartes’ view of God’s omnipotence?
How does the idea that God can sin but won’t preserve omnipotence and goodness?
What are the criticisms of the view that God can sin but won’t?
What are the advantages of Aquinas’ view that God cannot sin?
What are the disadvantages of Aquinas’ view that God cannot sin?
What are the advantages of Aquinas’ view of God self-limiting in creation?
What are the disadvantages of Aquinas’ view of God self-limiting in creation?
What are the advantages of Hartshorne’s view of God self-limiting in creation?
What are the disadvantages of Hartshorne’s view of God self-limiting in creation?
What are the advantages of Boethius’ solution to the problem of foreknowledge, free will, and omniscience?
What are the disadvantages of Boethius’ solution to foreknowledge and free will?
What are the advantages of Anselm’s four-dimensionalism solution to foreknowledge and free will?
What are the disadvantages of Anselm’s four-dimensionalism solution?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Swinburne’s solution to foreknowledge and free will?
AO1 – Knowledge
God is Father Almighty, meaning He is the creator of everything and the ultimate source of all power; origin of existence and power.
Descartes: God can do anything, even logically impossible acts; He creates the laws of logic + math, so isn’t bound by them.
God can alter laws like a computer game designer changes rules; miracles seem impossible only due to human perception.
Swinburne: God can only do what’s logically possible; tasks like a “round square” are meaningless and don’t limit Him.
God can sin but won’t; He freely chooses never to do evil, preserving omnipotence and divine goodness.
Aquinas: God cannot sin; sin is imperfection, and God’s perfection means inability to sin doesn’t limit power.
Descartes: God can do anything; Aquinas: God cannot sin; Swinburne/Aquinas: God can do logically possible acts; some argue God can sin but chooses not to.
Divine self-limitation: God voluntarily restricts His power, sharing it with creation; incarnation shows vulnerability and creation’s independence.
Hartshorne: By creating independent entities, God imposes limits on Himself; creatures have powers separate from God.
Aquinas: Primary causes – God gives existence + sustains everything; secondary causes – created things act independently, God remains omnipotent.
Omniscience: God knows all thoughts, actions, + universe; supported by scripture (Psalm 139, Jeremiah 1:5) and philosophers like Anselm.
Unlimited omniscience – God sees all history at once; limited – God knows events as they happen, allowing human free will.
Boethius: God is timeless; knowing the future doesn’t threaten free will but raises the problem of apparent predetermination.
Boethius: God perceives all events simultaneously in eternal “now”; foreknowledge doesn’t fix human actions.
Boethius: God’s eternal knowledge doesn’t constrain freedom; sees all events at once without causing them.
AO2 – Evaluation / Analysis
Descartes’ omnipotence makes God seem extremely powerful, creating laws of logic + math.
Problem: God doing logically impossible acts is hard to understand and seems paradoxical.
Allowing God to sin but never doing so preserves omnipotence and moral goodness.
Criticism: “God can sin” seems weak; God cannot err, so omnipotence may appear limited.
Aquinas’ view God cannot sin: Advantage – God is perfectly reliable; Disadvantage – praise seems unnecessary.
Comparing Descartes/Aquinas: Descartes is extreme, Aquinas more coherent; Swinburne balances logic and omnipotence.
Self-limitation (Aquinas): Advantage – creation functions independently, God remains omnipotent; Disadvantage – raises questions on free will + evil.
Hartshorne: Advantage – creatures have genuine independence; Disadvantage – God seems less than fully omnipotent.
Boethius’ solution: Advantage – God knows all without threatening free will; Disadvantage – timeless God may be hard to comprehend + interact with.
Anselm: Advantage – God perceives all time via four-dimensionalism, fully omniscient; Disadvantage – timeless God is difficult to understand.
Swinburne: Advantage – God in time seems closer, human free will preserved; Disadvantage – God seems limited or not fully omniscient.
Swinburne on limited omniscience: Advantage – allows free will; Disadvantage – creation has risks, God doesn’t know future free actions.
Descartes: Advantage – God is ultimate designer; Disadvantage – makes God incomprehensible to humans.
“God can sin but won’t”: Advantage – logical consistency, praiseworthy; Disadvantage – implies God could be tempted.
God cannot sin: Advantage – fully reliable, no weakness; Disadvantage – praise seems unnecessary, limits apparent omnipotence.