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Tag Archives: classical theism
On the Putative Threat of Modal Collapse Within the Doctrine of Divine Simplicity
by Alexander Earl Prompted by Dionysius’s doctrine of God and its Neoplatonic foundations, the question of Divine freedom has been the subject of theological reflection on this blog for the past few months. That it would become a sustained avenue of … Continue reading
Dionysian Ponderings: Beyond the Beyond … and then Beyond
“Dionysius adopts the doctrine of God as ‘nameless,’ ‘unknowable,’ and ‘beyond being’ from the Neoplatonic tradition established by Plotinus,” writes Eric Perl, “and his thought can be understood only in that context” (Theophany, p. 13). We will need to revisit … Continue reading
Thomas Aquinas, Eleonore Stump, and the Maverick Philosopher: Is God “a” being among beings?
Is God a being among beings? It seems like the kind of question that only a fussy scholastic might worry about. Christians typically speak of God as if he were a being. We tell stories about him. We proclaim his … Continue reading
Eternal God and a World That Need Not Be
As I write this article, I am sitting on my deck with my two Collies, Tiriel and Fëanor. They are keeping vigilant watch. The clouds are gathering. The thunder is getting closer. With each peal they scramble around the deck, … Continue reading
Divine Simplicity as Negative Theology
“From first to last,” writes philosopher Brian Davies, “the doctrine of divine simplicity is a piece of negative or apophatic theology and not a purported description of God” (“Classical Theism and the Doctrine of Divine Simplicity,” in Language, Meaning and … Continue reading
Revisiting God and Odin: Classical Theism versus Theistic Personalism
When I wrote my “God is Not Odin …” it quickly became one of Eclectic Orthodoxy’s most frequently viewed articles, and I’m delighted that the reblog has also generated interest, presumably among those who missed it the first go-around. For … Continue reading
If God is Being, does prayer make sense?
In a recent article, Roger Olson contrasts his own “biblical” understanding of God as a personal being, albeit “the greatest of all beings, transcendently surpassing in greatness and glory all creatures,” with the traditional understanding of God as Being itself, infinite, … Continue reading
Divine Simplicity Sure Ain’t Simple
One line in particular jumped out at me while reading David Bentley Hart’s The Experience of God two weeks ago: “It seems obvious to me that a denial of divine simplicity is tantamount to atheism” (p. 128). Oh no. I … Continue reading
