Nature of God- A Personal God

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How do the scriptures refer to God?
They refer to him in personal terms, he is said to be loving and trustworthy and to have a personal relationship with those who love him.
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What does it mean to refer to god as personal?
To speak of God as personal is to refer to a God with whom humans can have a relationship, one that reflects their own relationships with each other.
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When thinking about god as personal what is it important not to do?
Reduce him to a human level as he is not a human being.
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If you referred to god as a person in this 'human' sense what would that imply?
To refer to god in this sense would imply that god,like humans can be in some definite place.
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Does the God take away from the nature of the trinity?
No
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Why?
Because god as personal is an analogy. To refer to god as a person does not mean that he is human- it confirms that god has the ability and willingness to relate to his people.
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Who criticises god as Personal?
Benedict Spinoza in his work Ethics
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What does he argue?
Although humans should love god. Personal two way relationship is impossible; god is perfect, this perfect cannot be altered he is unchanging- he cannot love.
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Why can't there be a two way relationship?
A two way relationship of love would require god to change his being. 'God strictly speaking loves no one nor hates anyone. For God is affected with no emotion of joy or sadness, and consequently loves no one nor hates anyone.'
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What Latin word does person come from?
'Persona' meaning ' a mask'.
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What does speaking of god as personal highlight?
To speak of god as a person is to highlight the fact that it is possible to enter into a personal relationship with god.
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Who came up with I-it, I-thou relationships?
Buber - think **** (hehe) see...you remember that. (Fist pump)
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Define I-it:
Indirect relationship: you can know about an object but you cannot 'know' it.
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Define I-thou:
Personal relationship: like those between two active subjects. I.e two human beings- 'mutual-reciprocal relation'.
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Analogy I-it:
The human is active and the car is passive. In philo terms: 'subject-object relation'.
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Relevance to God-
'We know about an 'it', but we know and are known by a 'you'/thou'. We can get to know god but he always knew us.
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continued explanation-
God can never be an 'it' for he is an active subject. People can know about god and also know god.
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Christian perspective-
Both I-it and I-you relationships are possible because god revealed himself to humanity. His facts as well as personality.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What does it mean to refer to god as personal?

Back

To speak of God as personal is to refer to a God with whom humans can have a relationship, one that reflects their own relationships with each other.

Card 3

Front

When thinking about god as personal what is it important not to do?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

If you referred to god as a person in this 'human' sense what would that imply?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Does the God take away from the nature of the trinity?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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