Chapter 6, “Aquinas’s Program and Two Critics: Karl Barth and Process Theology”
- What is a “self-evident proposition?”
Propositions where predicates are parts of what the subject means.
- How did Anselm and Aquinas differ on whether and how God was or was not “self-evident”?
Anselm argues that from the essence of what God is, it can be concluded that He exists. At the same time, Aquinas differs from this argument because he believes that statement does not give a divine essence suggesting it is not self-evident.
- Be able to provide a brief definition of the “ontological argument.”
An argument o the being or existence of God.
- What is Thomas Aquinas’s basic procedure when it comes to demonstrating the existence of God?
Aquinas connects effects (creation in this case) or actions of God to Him. This establishes the existence and characterization of God accurately. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
- In basic terms, be able to state Thomas Aquinas’s “five ways.” (pp. 104ff.); this comes up in the next chapter as well)
The first of the “five ways” demonstrate God as the initial cause of motion, the second is He is the efficient cause, the third is a God who is esse per se (one who is oneself), fourth as the source of all perfections and exemplariness and the fifth as the final cause of all things.
- Note well the discussion of God as necessary, as opposed to contingent, being.
The deductions from the aseity of God include perfections such as unity, truth, eternity, immensity, and infinity. These perfections oppose Him to a contingent being.
- Note how Aquinas demonstrates the various attributes of God.
The demonstration of attributes of God by Aquinas involves the discovery of perfections that are attributed to God since His nature is unknown to many people.
- Be familiar with Aquinas’s procedure with respect to analogy, beginning at the bottom of p. 107 (i.e., when speaking about God, human language is neither univocal nor equivocal, but analogical).
Concerning analogy, Aquinas procedure demonstrates the divine attributes by reason, positive characterization of God, the analogy of proportion, and the analogy of proportionality. The analogy of proportion likens God to creatures by their participation in reality.
- Note well Karl Barth’s evaluations of Aquinas (and natural theology) and Anselm, respectively.
Barth criticizes Aquinas theology that there is no way of reaching God by reasoning, He comes to humans. Karl suggests that it is better to interpret Aquinas’ approach that thinks God rather than reach him. Besides, Barth argues that Anselm limits the concepts of God and distinguishes Him by focusing on faith and understanding rather than human awareness of God. This makes people not think about anything that could be greater than God.
- In what basic way does Alfred North Whitehead and process theology alter several of the basic claims of “classical theism”?
The process theology alters claims of ‘classical theism’ by suggesting a methodological requirement that cannot be bound by Christianity but philosophers. The process claims that we should not attribute any perfections to God because it illustrates Him as a principle of limitation.