Models of God and Alternative Ultimate Realities

Acknowledgements......Page 8
Contents......Page 10
Contributors......Page 18
Introduction......Page 23
Motivations......Page 24
Basic Methodology and Terminology......Page 25
Structure......Page 27
Contributions......Page 30
References......Page 31
Part I: Conceptual Foundations......Page 32
Introduction to Conceptual Foundations......Page 33
Modeling Ultimate Reality: God, Consciousness, and Emergence......Page 38
Personhood, Consciousness, and Emergence......Page 39
The Ontological Creative Act......Page 43
Semiotics of Symbolic Engagement......Page 48
References......Page 52
Introduction......Page 53
Ontology and Epistemology of Ultimate Reality......Page 54
Symmetry and Asymmetry......Page 55
Symmetric Models and Asymmetric Ultimate Reality......Page 57
Conclusion: Modeling Ultimacy or Ultimate Reality?......Page 59
References......Page 60
Hermeneutics, Models, and Explanatory Adequacy......Page 61
Exodus 3:14......Page 64
Emmanuel: God with Us......Page 66
Atheism......Page 67
Deism......Page 69
Pantheism......Page 70
Polytheism and Henotheism......Page 72
Theism or Monotheism......Page 73
Panentheism......Page 75
Eschatological Panentheism......Page 77
Conclusion......Page 79
Relativizing the Classical Tradition: Hartshorne’s History of God......Page 80
The Historical Approach......Page 81
The Conceptual Approach......Page 85
Conclusions......Page 92
References......Page 94
Ultimate Reality......Page 97
Knowledge Acquisition......Page 98
Possibility......Page 99
Psychological Routes, Distances, and Limits......Page 100
Our Ignorance of What Is Psychologically Possible to Know About Ultimate Reality......Page 101
Epistemic Possibilities and Hope......Page 104
A Common Response......Page 105
References......Page 106
Suggested Readings: Conceptual Foundations......Page 107
Part II: Classical Theism......Page 108
Introduction to Classical Theism......Page 109
Aristotle on God: Divine Nous as Unmoved Mover......Page 115
Unmoved Mover......Page 116
Divine Nous......Page 118
Question of God’s Transcendence......Page 120
Editions of Aristotle’s Works......Page 122
Other References......Page 123
Anthropomorphism as a Form of Idolatry......Page 124
How Images Mean......Page 128
The Truth of Images......Page 129
The Authority of Images......Page 133
Good and Bad Images......Page 135
References......Page 136
Augustine and Classical Theism......Page 137
References......Page 144
Anselm’s Perfect God......Page 145
References......Page 152
Reason, Revelation, and Interpretation......Page 153
Divine Creation......Page 154
Divine Will and Omnipotence......Page 157
Divine Justice and Omnipotence......Page 160
Ibn Rushd on Revelation and Truth......Page 162
Al-Ghazali’s Mysticism......Page 164
Conclusion......Page 167
References......Page 168
Thomas Aquinas: Model of God......Page 169
What Can We Say About God?......Page 170
God Is Necessary and Eternal......Page 171
God Is Immaterial and Unique......Page 172
God Is Good......Page 173
God Is Intelligent......Page 174
What Does Revelation Tell Us About God?......Page 175
References......Page 176
Impassibility and Divine Love......Page 177
Thomistic Impassibility and Joy......Page 178
Coherent, Religiously Adequate, and Morally Attractive Thomism......Page 181
References......Page 185
Descartes on God and the Products of His Will......Page 186
References......Page 202
Suggested Readings: Classical Theism......Page 204
Part III: Neo-Classical Theism......Page 205
Classical and Neo-classical Theism: What’s So Neo ?......Page 206
A Parallel......Page 209
Vague Boundaries......Page 210
Four Neo-classical Arguments......Page 212
References......Page 214
Descriptivist Reference and the Return of Classical Theism......Page 216
References......Page 228
Introduction......Page 233
The A Priori Argument Against EDU-Theism......Page 234
Replies to the A Priori Argument Against EDU-Theism......Page 235
Reply to the Objection to P1......Page 236
A Modified Objection to P1......Page 237
Reply to the Modified Objection to P1......Page 238
Conclusion......Page 239
References......Page 240
Introduction......Page 241
Anselmian Theism......Page 242
The Problem of Evil......Page 245
The Non-OmniGod Response......Page 246
Arguments Against the Non-OmniGod Response......Page 247
Objections to Arguments Against the Non-OmniGod Response......Page 248
References......Page 251
Introduction......Page 253
Zeno’s Paradoxes......Page 255
Kant’s First Antinomy......Page 257
God as Infinite-Finite......Page 261
Practical Implications......Page 263
Postscript......Page 265
References......Page 266
Suggested Readings: Neo-classical Theism......Page 267
Part IV: Open Theism......Page 268
Introduction to Open Theism......Page 269
I......Page 270
II......Page 274
References......Page 280
Values......Page 282
Criticisms......Page 283
A Framework for Open Theist Replies......Page 285
Unifying These Replies......Page 288
A Dialectic of Models......Page 289
Conclusion......Page 290
Open Theism and Other Models of Divine Providence......Page 291
I. The Core of Open Theism......Page 292
II. Some Important Corollaries......Page 296
III. The Alethic Openness of the Future......Page 297
IV. Four Models of Divine Providence......Page 299
V. Conclusion......Page 301
References......Page 302
Trinity, Temporality, and Open Theism......Page 303
Divine Temporality Affirmed......Page 304
Divine Temporality Obscured......Page 306
Divine Temporality Clarified......Page 308
Suggested Readings: Open Theism......Page 311
Part V: Process Theology......Page 312
Introduction to Process Theology......Page 313
References......Page 323
William James’s Argument for a Finite Theism......Page 324
References......Page 331
Hartshorne’s Dipolar Theism and the Mystery of God......Page 333
Hartshorne’s Central Argument......Page 335
Locating the Mystery of God......Page 338
From Models of God to a Model of Gods: How Whiteheadian Metaphysics Facilitates Western Language Discussion of Divine Multiplicity......Page 343
References......Page 354
The Problem......Page 356
Responding to the Problem: The Role of a Hindu Process Theology......Page 358
Outline of a Hindu Process Theology in the Tradition of Sri Ramakrishna......Page 362
References......Page 365
Suggested Readings: Process Theology......Page 366
Part VI: Panentheism......Page 367
Common Features......Page 368
The Story Behind the Story......Page 369
The Six Western Chapters......Page 371
Panentheisms East and West......Page 375
References......Page 376
Nicholas of Cusa’s Understanding of Theophany and the Retrieval of a “New” Model of God......Page 377
Primary Sources......Page 392
Secondary Sources......Page 393
What Kind of Being is Kant’s God?......Page 394
Kant’s God is Moral......Page 397
The Phenomenal World Exists in the Noumenal World......Page 400
Panentheism as the Key to Kantian Theology......Page 404
Schelling’s Fragile God......Page 406
References......Page 415
Introduction......Page 416
Hegel’s Developmental Conception of God......Page 417
Spinoza......Page 420
Philosophy and Religion......Page 422
Conclusion......Page 424
References......Page 425
Peirce, Pragmatism and Cosmology......Page 426
Nominalism and Realism......Page 428
Peirce’s Conception of God......Page 430
Problems and Prospects......Page 432
References......Page 435
Karl Rahner on God......Page 436
Works by Karl Rahner......Page 445
Other Authors......Page 446
Modeling God in One Hindu Context: The Supreme God in a Medieval South Indian Hymn......Page 447
Tiruvaymoli's Understanding of the Highest Deity......Page 448
The Proclamation of the First Lord in Tiruvaymoli IV.10......Page 450
Theological Insights in the Commentaries......Page 454
Theological Reflection......Page 457
References......Page 462
Suggested Readings: Panentheism......Page 463
Part VII: Ground, Start and End of Being Theologies......Page 464
Introduction to Ground, Start and End of Being Theologies......Page 465
Ground of Being Theologies......Page 466
Start of Being Theology......Page 467
End of Being Theology......Page 468
Start and End of Being Theologies......Page 469
References......Page 473
I......Page 474
II......Page 478
III......Page 481
References......Page 484
Introduction: The Kaifeng Jewish Community......Page 487
Background I: Chinese Religion and the Literati Understanding of Essential Reality......Page 488
Background II: Early Medieval Jewish Theology......Page 490
Chinese Terms Chosen to Represent Hebrew Terms for God......Page 491
The Relationship of Humans and the Divine......Page 493
Theodicy a Non-issue......Page 495
God and Torah......Page 496
Comparison with Western Philosophical Categories Regarding Divinity......Page 497
Pantheism......Page 498
References......Page 499
Deistic Distance: The Shift in Early Modern Theology from Divine Immanence to Divine Design......Page 501
Historical Antecedents to Divine Distance......Page 502
Enlightenment Theism: John Ray......Page 505
Enlightenment Deism: Anthony Collins......Page 509
References......Page 514
Explicating and Motivating a Modest Fideism......Page 515
Applying Extended Jamesian Fideism to Classical Theistic Faith-Ventures: A New Perspective on the Problem of Evil?......Page 521
How This Fideist Critique of Classical Theism may Point the Way to a Revisionary Theism......Page 525
References......Page 531
The God Insight: Vengeance or Destiny?......Page 533
Meaning......Page 535
Creation......Page 537
Communication and Faith......Page 538
Pragma vs. Dogma......Page 540
Historical Assumptions of Ætistic Gnosticism......Page 542
Atrocities in the Old Testament......Page 544
Who’s That Guy up in the Sky?......Page 546
But What Would Jesus Say?......Page 547
The Problem of Evil......Page 550
Salvation and Redemption......Page 551
So How Good is God?......Page 552
Comfort Ye, My People......Page 553
References25......Page 554
Introduction......Page 556
God as Ground and Creator......Page 558
God as Perfect Agapic Love......Page 562
God as the Source of Eschatological Possibilities......Page 563
The Process Conception of Perfection......Page 565
Divine Temporality or Higher Time......Page 566
Limited Foreknowledge and Anti-Molinism......Page 567
Risk-Taking Open Sovereignty......Page 570
Conclusion: NEM and the Problem(s) of Evil......Page 571
References......Page 572
Taking the Nature of God Seriously......Page 576
References......Page 587
Suggested Readings: Ground, Start and End of Being Theologies......Page 589
Part VIII: Ultimate Unity......Page 590
Introduction to Ultimate Unity......Page 591
The Essays......Page 592
Monism and Pantheism......Page 598
References......Page 601
God and Ultimate Reality: An Analytical Interpretation of Śaņkara’s Philosophy......Page 603
Reference......Page 611
The World as the Body of God: Rāmānuja on What is Ultimately Real......Page 612
Primary Sources......Page 618
Secondary Sources......Page 619
Introduction......Page 620
Background......Page 621
Theological and Philosophical Considerations......Page 622
Yoga......Page 624
Challenges......Page 626
References......Page 627
How Spinozistic Was Toland’s Pantheism?......Page 629
References......Page 637
Suggested Readings: Ultimate Unity......Page 639
Part IX: Divine Multiplicity......Page 640
Introduction to Divine Multiplicity......Page 641
The Great Ancestor: An African Conception of God......Page 645
References......Page 651
Nature, Impersonality, and Absence in the Theology of Highest Clarity Daoism......Page 652
Natural Gods......Page 653
Absent Nature......Page 660
References......Page 663
Toward a New Model of the Hindu Pantheon: A Report on Twenty-Some Years of Feminist Reflection......Page 664
The Received Portrait......Page 666
Gender and Number in a Polycentric Symbol System......Page 669
References......Page 674
Suggested Readings: Divine Multiplicity......Page 675
Part X: Naturalistic Models of the Ultimate......Page 676
Introduction to Naturalistic Models of the Ultimate......Page 677
The Deity, Figured and Disfigured: Hume on Philosophical Theism and Vulgar Religion......Page 681
True Theism......Page 682
Vulgar Religion......Page 683
Vulgar Theism......Page 686
The Persecution of Philosophical Theists......Page 687
References......Page 689
Nietzsche on the Death of God and the God of Life......Page 690
The Death of God and the God of Life......Page 692
Interpreting the Discourse on the Death of God: Nietzsche’s Spiritual Exercises and the Reformation of Philosophical and Religious Forms of Life......Page 700
References......Page 705
God’s Transcendence......Page 707
Divinity and Humanity......Page 709
Ethics......Page 710
Closing......Page 712
References......Page 713
The New Atheism and Models of God: The Case of Richard Dawkins......Page 714
Dawkins’ “God Hypothesis”......Page 715
Dawkins’ Argument Against the God Hypothesis......Page 718
References......Page 722
Buddhist Ultimates? A Difficult Question......Page 724
References......Page 732
Facing Finality......Page 733
Suggested Readings: Naturalistic Models of the Ultimate......Page 740
Part XI: Against Modeling: Negative Theology......Page 742
Introduction to Negative Theology......Page 743
Reference......Page 749
The Platonic Monotheism of Plotinus......Page 750
References......Page 756
Pseudo-Dionysius and the Negation of Models of God......Page 757
Suggested Readings......Page 765
Strolling with Maimonides on the Via Negativa......Page 766
References......Page 772
Meister Eckhart’s God......Page 773
Other References......Page 782
Part I......Page 783
I. a......Page 784
I. b......Page 786
I. c......Page 788
II. a......Page 789
II. b......Page 790
Part III......Page 792
References......Page 793
Introduction......Page 794
Ethics and Transcendence......Page 797
God and Transcendence......Page 799
Life’s Tribulations and Belief in God......Page 803
Wittgenstein, God, and Christian Orthodoxy......Page 806
Concluding Comment......Page 807
References......Page 808
Schleiermacher and the Negative Way: Implications for Inter-Religious Dialogue......Page 809
Schleiermacher and the Cultured Despisers of Religion......Page 810
Immediate Self-Consciousness......Page 812
Beyond Apophasis......Page 815
References......Page 817
‘Ultimate reality’ in the Later Feyerabend......Page 818
‘Being’, Epistemic Activities, and Metaphysical Realism......Page 820
‘Abundance’ and ‘ineffability’......Page 824
Conclusions......Page 827
References......Page 828
Aperture of Absence: Jean-Luc Marion on the God Who ‘Is Not’......Page 829
From Conditions of Possibility to (Im)Possibility Without Condition......Page 830
Iconicity as Gateway to Ultimate Reality......Page 833
Plenty Good Room for Revelation......Page 835
Opening onto a Third Way......Page 838
References......Page 840
Suggested Readings: Negative Theology......Page 842
Part XII: Diversity of Models of God and Alternative Ultimate Realities......Page 843
Introduction to the Diversity of Models of Ultimate Realities......Page 844
References......Page 850
Introduction......Page 851
Behind Anthropomorphic Models of Ultimate Reality......Page 854
Between Anthropomorphic Models of Ultimate Reality......Page 861
Beyond Anthropomorphic Models of Ultimate Reality......Page 867
Can Models of God Compete?......Page 873
Mysteriosophy......Page 874
Theopoetics......Page 875
Optimistic Realism......Page 876
Reticent Realism......Page 877
References......Page 879
Being and Consciousness......Page 880
Self-Disclosure......Page 882
Naming the Real......Page 885
Human Deiformity......Page 887
The Unfolding of the Self......Page 889
Beyond Models......Page 891
The Model of No Model......Page 892
References......Page 893
Disclosures of Reality......Page 895
Models......Page 896
Five Apercus......Page 897
Intimations of the Way......Page 898
An Enlightenment About the Conditions of Suffering......Page 899
Common Elements......Page 900
Critical Pluralism......Page 901
Responding to the Many-Sided Reality......Page 902
References......Page 904
Incoherence and Truth in Models of the Ultimate: A Badiouan Approach......Page 905
Models and Situations......Page 907
The “Intensely Personal God” of Liberation Theology......Page 908
The Intensely Impersonal Dao......Page 911
Modeling After the Event: Heup Young Kim’s Theotao......Page 913
Conclusion......Page 915
References......Page 917
Introduction......Page 919
Equal Weight......Page 920
Motivations for Equal Weight and Steadfastness......Page 921
The Equal Weight Argument Against Exclusivism......Page 922
Exclusivist Attempts to Limit Equal Weight......Page 923
Why Pluralists Need to Reject Equal Weight, Too......Page 927
Conclusion: Religious Permissivism......Page 929
References......Page 931
Suggested Readings: Diversity of Models of Ultimate Reality......Page 933
Part XIII: Practical Implications......Page 934
Introduction to Practical Implications......Page 935
References......Page 940
The Facts of Global Warming......Page 941
The Problem of Transcendence and the Promise of an Embodied God......Page 942
A False Choice......Page 944
The World as God’s Body and Other Models of God’s Relation to the World......Page 946
The Promise of Integrative Theism......Page 947
References......Page 950
Models of God and Just War Theory......Page 952
Just War Theory and the Ordering Principle of the Cosmos......Page 954
Human Freedom, Divine Freedom: Enabling Peace as the Finality of Just War Theory......Page 956
References......Page 960
Models, Idols, and the Great White Whale: Toward a Christian Faith of Nonattachment......Page 962
Whores......Page 963
Fools......Page 964
The Danger of Harpoons......Page 965
An Unsteady Raft......Page 967
From Dead Idols to Living Faith......Page 969
Faithfulness......Page 970
Virtuous Discipline......Page 971
References......Page 972
The Challenge......Page 973
Irigaray: A Pivotal Figure for Feminists Today......Page 974
The Formation of Divine Ideals......Page 976
Personal Perspectives and Moral Exemplars......Page 978
Conclusion......Page 980
References......Page 981
Suggested Readings: Practical Implications......Page 984
Epilogue......Page 985
Reference......Page 989
Index......Page 990