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Metaphysics of Religion
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Pantheism
Pantheism holds that God and the universe are identical. This concept calls into question traditional distinctions between creator and creation, impacting views on divine transcendence and immanence, as well as environmental ethics.
Soul
The concept of the soul deals with an immaterial essence attributed to living beings. Discourse on the soul includes its potential immortality, its relation to the body, and the problem of personal identity after death.
Incarnation
The Incarnation in Christianity refers to God becoming human in the person of Jesus Christ. This doctrine raises questions about the union of divine and human natures, the possibility of God experiencing human life, and the implications for redemption and salvation.
Problem of Evil
The Problem of Evil questions how an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God can allow the existence of evil and suffering. This philosophical issue involves the logical problem of evil, evidential problem, and various responses, such as free will and soul-making theodicies.
Omniscience
Omniscience pertains to God's ability to know everything, including all possible futures. Philosophical discussions focus on the implications for human free will, the nature of time, and the problem of evil.
Apophatic Theology
Apophatic Theology, also known as negative theology, suggests that God can only be described by what cannot be said about him. This approach raises discussions on the limits of human language and knowledge when talking about the divine, and the experience of the mystical or ineffable.
Omnipresence
Omnipresence is the attribute of God being present everywhere. This concept raises questions about the nature of God's presence and how it interacts with notions of space, including whether God's presence is literal or figurative.
Transcendence
Transcendence describes a deity's existence outside the normal bounds of physical laws. This term leads to discussions about the nature of divine interaction with the physical world and the possibility of miracles.
Divine Simplicity
Divine Simplicity is the doctrine that God is without parts. The metaphysical discussions here pertain to how God can be personal, have attributes, and interact with a complex world while being metaphysically simple.
Teleology
Teleology refers to the philosophical study of purpose, or end goals, in nature. It raises questions about the existence and nature of a final cause or design within the universe, often attributed to a divine intelligence. Metaphysical implications concern the cause-and-effect structures of reality and whether purpose is intrinsic or imposed.
Omnibenevolence
Omnibenevolence refers to God's all-loving nature. This concept generates debates on the compatibility with the presence of evil and suffering in the world, and varying theological responses such as theodicies.
Eternalism
Eternalism is the view that past, present, and future events are equally real. This concept challenges traditional religious views on divine foreknowledge and predestination, creating debates on how free will can coexist with a temporally static universe.
Creation Ex Nihilo
Creation ex nihilo is the belief that the universe was created by God out of nothing. This notion leads to debates on the nature of divine causality, the beginning of time, and the scientific perspective of the Big Bang theory.
Revelation
Revelation refers to the disclosure of divine truth to humanity. This concept initiates debates on the nature of divine communication, its compatibility with human reason, and the criteria for authentic revelation.
Faith and Reason
Faith and Reason are the two primary paths to understanding divine truth. This topic incites discussion on their respective roles in religious belief, their potential conflict or compatibility, and the epistemology of religious truths.
Immanence
Immanence refers to the presence of God in the material world. This term provokes debate on how God's proximity to the physical realm affects human perception of the sacred and the nature of religious experience.
Theodicy
A theodicy is an attempt to justify the existence of evil in a world governed by an omnibenevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient deity. Theodicies raise complex issues surrounding moral and natural evils and the free will defense.
Miracles
Miracles are events said to be caused by divine intervention in the natural order. They prompt discussions on the relationship between natural laws and divine action, the repeatability of scientific observations vs singular divine acts, and the credibility of historical miracle claims.
Eschatology
Eschatology is the branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of humankind. It involves discussions on the metaphysical nature of afterlife concepts, resurrection, and the ultimate fate of the universe.
Divine Omnipotence
The concept of divine omnipotence involves discussions on the nature of God's power and its limits. Can an omnipotent being create a rock so heavy that it can't lift it? Philosophical debate centers around the logical coherence of omnipotence and how it coexists with human free will and the presence of evil.
Theological Determinism
Theological Determinism asserts that all events are preordained by a deity. Debates revolve around its compatibility with divine benevolence and human moral responsibility, leading to various reconciliatory theories such as compatibilism.
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