Tag Archives: theistic personalism

Dionysian Ponderings: Beyond the Beyond … and then Beyond

Posted on 3 June 2018 by

“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 →

Posted in Dionysius the Areopagite | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Thomas Aquinas, Eleonore Stump, and the Maverick Philosopher: Is God “a” being among beings?

Posted on 20 March 2018 by

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 →

Posted in Philosophical Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Perfect Being Theology, Theistic Personalism, and the Eclipse of the Apophatic

Posted on 30 May 2016 by

Readers of this blog will by now be well-acquainated with the term “theistic personalism.” It was coined by Brian Davies to describe what he believes to be a problematic understanding of divinity, commonly advanced by analytic philosophers. He specifically names … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophical Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 117 Comments

Revisiting God and Odin: Classical Theism versus Theistic Personalism

Posted on 16 April 2016 by

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 →

Posted in Philosophical Theology | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

If God is Being, does prayer make sense?

Posted on 25 May 2015 by

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 →

Posted in Herbert McCabe & Friends | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

To Be or Not to Be: The A-being god of Theistic Personalists

Posted on 6 May 2015 by

Is God a being among beings? It seems like the kind of question that only a fussy scholastic  might worry about. Popular Christian discourse commonly speak of God as if he were a being. We tell stories about him. We … Continue reading →

Posted in Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

To Be or Not to Be: The Christian Distinction

Posted on 4 May 2015 by

“‘It ain’t obvious what’s obvious,’ at least not in philosophy,” quips Bill Vallicella, quoting Hilary Putnam. I guess I walked right into that friendly gibe. After all, I did remark that “God, as conceived by Christians, is not a being … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophical Theology, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments