Plato thought we were already born with knowledge; this we gained in the perfect
world of forms.
Hume thought that the real knowledge only came from observation and
experimentation. This is empirical
For many people including religious people empirical knowledge is limited as it only
accesses the physical world.
Empirical Experience and logical reasoning
For an empiricist they do not know anything about God as he can't be sensed or
observed therefore doesn't exist
For those who believe rationally God may not exist due to him being beyond our
comprehension
For Christians, there are more types of knowledge than this
Natural knowledge:
- Available to everyone
- Knowledge of God is mediated (passed on) by the divine that everyone can
carry on
- May lead to belief that there is a God without being Chrisitan
Revealed Knowledge
- A revealing that has occurred specifically to someone who has become Christian
- Mediated by God, witnessing miracle, religious experience
- Requires extra supernatural intervention in addition to what humans already
have
Revealed and natural knowledge bible passages:
o “The fool says in his heart ‘there is no God’” - Psalm 14:1
Intelligent people can see and say there is a God
o “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his
handiwork” - Psalm 19:1
Through nature
Bonaventura
The human mind has three different ways of knowing:
1. The eye of the flesh includes sense perception (empiricism). Gain knowledge
about the physical world
2. They eye of reason: we can work out things logically like maths
3. The eye of contemplation: knowledge of God which goes beyond senses and
reason includes faith
, Polkinghorne
He is a physicist and a priest. Using Bonaventure's analogy, he says he sees the
physical world with its laws and processes through one eye and the purpose of God
through the other
He argues it is foolish for religious people to ignore the discoveries of science and
equally foolish for scientists to ignore God
Tradition: John Calvin
Most famous protestant reformer, writing from Switzerland in the 16th century
Institutes of the Christian religion book 1 and 2
Placed more emphasis on revealed knowledge but believed both
All people are born with ‘Sensus divinities’ (divine sense which allows us to
understand God
“All people recognise that there is a God, and he is their creator”
People have no excuse not to worship God; it is a universal sense that everyone
has. It is even clear to the dumbest people.
Epistemic distance is caused by humans deliberately ignoring the obvious
Natural theology as arising from the order of creation
People can understand:
1. God’s power and eternity
2. God’s care for humanity
3. God’s justice and mercy
Through observing the natural world through our senses and contemplating it with
their reason
Immediate and Mediate reason:
Some theologians differentiate between two types of revelation:
1. Immediate revelation: God makes himself directly known to someone, prophets,
Adam and Eve, anyone who met Jesus
2. Mediate Revelation: Indirect knowledge of God, the bible and all who read it.
Some Christians see the Bible as an immediate revelation as God talks directly
through it to the reader.
Knowledge of God through faith
- Faith is not conclusive evidence and can oppose evidence
world of forms.
Hume thought that the real knowledge only came from observation and
experimentation. This is empirical
For many people including religious people empirical knowledge is limited as it only
accesses the physical world.
Empirical Experience and logical reasoning
For an empiricist they do not know anything about God as he can't be sensed or
observed therefore doesn't exist
For those who believe rationally God may not exist due to him being beyond our
comprehension
For Christians, there are more types of knowledge than this
Natural knowledge:
- Available to everyone
- Knowledge of God is mediated (passed on) by the divine that everyone can
carry on
- May lead to belief that there is a God without being Chrisitan
Revealed Knowledge
- A revealing that has occurred specifically to someone who has become Christian
- Mediated by God, witnessing miracle, religious experience
- Requires extra supernatural intervention in addition to what humans already
have
Revealed and natural knowledge bible passages:
o “The fool says in his heart ‘there is no God’” - Psalm 14:1
Intelligent people can see and say there is a God
o “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his
handiwork” - Psalm 19:1
Through nature
Bonaventura
The human mind has three different ways of knowing:
1. The eye of the flesh includes sense perception (empiricism). Gain knowledge
about the physical world
2. They eye of reason: we can work out things logically like maths
3. The eye of contemplation: knowledge of God which goes beyond senses and
reason includes faith
, Polkinghorne
He is a physicist and a priest. Using Bonaventure's analogy, he says he sees the
physical world with its laws and processes through one eye and the purpose of God
through the other
He argues it is foolish for religious people to ignore the discoveries of science and
equally foolish for scientists to ignore God
Tradition: John Calvin
Most famous protestant reformer, writing from Switzerland in the 16th century
Institutes of the Christian religion book 1 and 2
Placed more emphasis on revealed knowledge but believed both
All people are born with ‘Sensus divinities’ (divine sense which allows us to
understand God
“All people recognise that there is a God, and he is their creator”
People have no excuse not to worship God; it is a universal sense that everyone
has. It is even clear to the dumbest people.
Epistemic distance is caused by humans deliberately ignoring the obvious
Natural theology as arising from the order of creation
People can understand:
1. God’s power and eternity
2. God’s care for humanity
3. God’s justice and mercy
Through observing the natural world through our senses and contemplating it with
their reason
Immediate and Mediate reason:
Some theologians differentiate between two types of revelation:
1. Immediate revelation: God makes himself directly known to someone, prophets,
Adam and Eve, anyone who met Jesus
2. Mediate Revelation: Indirect knowledge of God, the bible and all who read it.
Some Christians see the Bible as an immediate revelation as God talks directly
through it to the reader.
Knowledge of God through faith
- Faith is not conclusive evidence and can oppose evidence
