Christian Classical Theism

Attributes of God in Classical Christian Theism We continue our study of the history of God by looking at His attributes from a number of different viewpoints. We will first examine the view of Classical Theism, then the view of Freewill Theism, and finally that of Open Theism. We begin by defining Classical Theism, also called traditional theism or Augustinian theism. In a section entitled, “The Classical Christian Concept of God,” Francis Beckwith gives a short definition of Classical Theism in See the

The aim of the Christian apologist is to appeal to the mind and to the heart of the unbeliever, with the necessary guidance and intervening of the Holy Spirit, by building a good case for the truth of Christianity. The classical method is a compelling approach because the “two-step” method establishes a strong case for the truth of theism and also creates a foundation which builds on the truth of the Christian worldview. This approach engages with natural theology but also recognizes that there are

less chromosome than monkeys. Charles Darwin, a nineteenth century English naturalist, developed a controversial peace that challenged the established theories of how humans developed, which until his time, remained based heavily on the Christian Churches. His Theory of Evolution, and the Roman Catholic Church’s response (or lack thereof) to the theory has brought increased criticism from liberal theologians and scientists alike about whether or not the Church is serious about evolution and

Chapter 5: Divine Relationality in the Christian Tradition (Consonance with Tradition) 5.1 Introduction. In this chapter, the author seeks to discover whether or not a risk-taking providence is in harmony with the theological traditions of the church by examining the thoughts of various theologians. Additionally, he intends to show that dynamic omniscience is in consonance with the purpose of the doctrine of "exhaustive foreknowledge in the freewill tradition" (141). 5.2 Some Early Fathers. Dr. Sanders

is partially accurate. However, the definition is beneficial for defining religions of Abrahamic faith that align with views of “classical theism” it proves erroneous in attempting to define religions characteristic of monotheism. Section A characterises God as the “perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator”. For monotheistic religions that abide by “classical theism” such as Christianity, this statement carries truth. In the domain of Christianity, God is defined as “The Almighty… beyond our

2. The Significnace of Natural/Cosmic Theodicy and the Call for a Trinitarian Panentheism According to Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, “A lacuna in Christian theology is the forgetfulness of the cosmic dimensions.” That is, “In the biblical and patristic traditions, ‘cosmic’ Christologies and pneumatologies are present,” and the retrieval of tradition is “important both for the sake of interfaith hospitality and improving Christianity’s self-understanding” in interdisciplinary dialogue. Kärkkäinen

The term theism, obtained from the Greek theos, or "god", typically refers to belief in God, the notion that all finite things are dependent on one supreme, self-existent reality who is spoken of as having personal essence or identity. God is widely regarded to have attributes that human beings are also capable of emulating. In classical theism, God is described as having attributes such as goodness, love, grace, compassion, and other personal attributes that are common to human beings as well. Attributes

finds that the covenant is not something that requires the earning of God’s grace (Sanders, 420). It is not formulated around the fear of never completing enough works so as to merit God’s favor. Within Romans 4, Sanders argues that Paul in his pre-Christian days was not referencing boasting, because Judaism itself was not of works-righteousness (Sanders, 33). In reality, he attributes our modern negativity

movement that emphasized sense perception, the Enlightenment also produced a strain of thought, called classical liberalism, which emphasized human autonomy. Stephen Clark writes, “The core of the Liberal ideology is the concept of individual rights.” Clark shows that rise of classic liberalism reorganized the foundations of authority. No longer did man answer to a higher authority. Classical liberalism

Adams uses another kind of defense for theism. In this reading Adams argues that the problem of evil has been directed at theism in general, which in this case has caused readers on either side of the debate to miss how important and how unique Christianity is to the problem of horrendous evils on this view. She argues that Christianity has a variety of unique tools that can meet the problem of evil more effectively when not abstracted into simply classical theism. Adams’ account has the kind of honest