1 / 11

Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction

Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction. Chapter 9 The Doctrine of God. Is God Male? Biblical language Gregory of Nazianzus Theological language as analogy Sallie McFague, Models of God Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love A Personal God

dai
Download Presentation

Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction Chapter 9 The Doctrine of God Wiley-Blackwell 2010

  2. Is God Male? • Biblical language • Gregory of Nazianzus • Theological language as analogy • Sallie McFague, Models of God • Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love A Personal God • Difficulties of calling God a “person” • Defining “person” • An impersonal God • Aristotle • Baruch Spinoza (1632-77) • Dialogical personalism: Martin Buber • I-it and I-You relations • God cannot be reduced to a concept • God’s self-revelation • God as active subject rather than passive object Wiley-Blackwell 2010

  3. Can God Suffer? • The classic view: the impassibility of God • Philo of Alexandria (c.30 BC-c.AD 45), That God is Unchangeable • Anselm and Aquinas • A suffering God: Jürgen Moltmann • The rise of protest atheism • The rediscovery of Martin Luther’s theology of the cross • The growing impact of the “history of dogma” movement • The rise of process thought • Fresh studies of the Old Testament • Notions of “love” • Moltmann’s The Crucified God (1972) • Kazoh Kitamori, A Theology of the Pain of God (1946) • Patripassianism (3rd century) • Theopaschitism (6th century) Wiley-Blackwell 2010

  4. The death of God? • Charles Wesley, “And Can It Be?” • Amazing love! how can it be That thou, my God, shouldst die for me? … ‘Tis mystery all! th’immortal dies! Who can explore his strange design? • 1966, “God is dead” • Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) • 1960s “Death of God” movement • God “dies” in Christ • Eberhard Jüngel • Jürgen Moltmann, “death in God” Wiley-Blackwell 2010

  5. The Omnipotence of God • Defining omnipotence • Anselm of Canterbury • Thomas Aquinas • The two powers of God (William Ockham) • The absolute power of God • The ordained power of God • The notion of divine self-limitation • Kenoticism (Philippians 2:6-7) God’s Action in the World • Deism: God acts through the laws of nature • Thomism: God acts through secondary causes (Aquinas) • Process theology: God acts through persuasion Wiley-Blackwell 2010

  6. God as Creator • Development of the doctrine of creation • Historical, prophetic, and wisdom writings • Creation as ordering • Nature is not divine • Creation and the rejection of dualism • Gnosticism • Augustine • Augustine of Hippo’s doctrine of creation • On the Literal Meaning of Genesis • Two “moments” in creation • Image of the seed • The doctrine of creation ex nihilo • Conflict with Gnosticism • Tertullian Wiley-Blackwell 2010

  7. Implications of the doctrine of creation • Distinction between God and creation • Implies God’s authority over the world • Human stewardship • Implies the original goodness of creation • Human beings are created in the image of God • Models of God as creator • Emanation • Construction • Artistic expression • Creation and Christian approaches to ecology • Lynn White Jr • Douglas John Hall, Imaging God: Dominion as Stewardship • Calvin B. DeWitt • The earthkeeping principle • The sabbath principle • The fruitfulness principle • The fulfillment and limits principle • Jürgen Moltmann, God in Creation Wiley-Blackwell 2010

  8. Theodicies: The Problem of Evil • The problem of evil • God is good • A good God would not permit suffering or evil • Yet suffering and evil are observed in the world • Therefore a good God does not exist • Irenaeus of Lyons (c.130-c.200) • Maturity and growth requires encounter with evil • John Hick (b.1922), Evil and the God of Love • Augustine of Hippo (354-430) • Rejection of Gnosticism • Evil as a consequence of the misuse of human freedom • Karl Barth (1886-1968) • Confidence in the ultimate triumph of the grace of God • Evil as das Nichtige, nothingness Wiley-Blackwell 2010

  9. Alvin Plantinga (b.1932) • Free will is morally important • Genuine free will requires evil as a real option • God must bring into being the best possible world that God is able to do • God must create a world with free will • God will not compel human beings to do good nor restrain them from doing evil • Liberation theology • Participation in God’s struggle against and confrontation of suffering • James Cone • Process theology • God persuades rather than coerces • “Protest theodicy” • Old Testament themes • Elie Wiesel (b.1928) Wiley-Blackwell 2010

  10. The Holy Spirit • Models of the Holy Spirit • Spirit as wind • Spirit as breath • Spirit as charism • The debate over the divinity of the Holy Spirit • The early church: Montanus • Patristic era: pneumatomachoi v. Athanasius and Basil of Caesarea • Council of Constantinople, 381 • Divinity established later 4th century • Scripture applied all the titles of God to the Spirit • The Spirit has divine functions • Baptism in the name of the “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” • Sequential development • Recognition of Jesus’ full divinity • Recognition of Spirit’s full divinity • Formulation of doctrine of the Trinity Wiley-Blackwell 2010

  11. Augustine of Hippo: the Spirit as bond of love • The Spirit as the bond of the Father and the Son • The Spirit as the bond of unity between God and believers • The Spirit as forging bonds of unity between believers • The functions of the Spirit • The illumination of revelation • Inspiration of Scripture • The origin of faith • The appropriation of salvation • Sanctification and divinization • The energization of the Christian life • Unity within the church • Prayer, spiritualiy, and worship • Shaping and sustaining the church • Mission Wiley-Blackwell 2010

More Related