Rapid Recall! Fill in the table with what you remember from memory! Prizes for the first correctly filled in one! 1) What are William James’ four qualities of Religious Experiences? 2)What is a corporate religious experience? Plus give a real life example. 3) What does Starbuck say about Religious experience? 4)What are Swinburne’s two principles? 5) What does the term veridical mean? 6) What does Otto believe religious experiences are like?

God and Time Continued: Anselm and Aquinas

Aiming for an A*? Try to complete the ‘Top Philosopher’ tasks! Learning Outcomes To be able describe issues with God’s omniscience (Grade C). To be able to explain, in detail, Anslem’sand Swinburne’ Omniscience (Grade B). To be able to evaluate the concept of God and his relationship with time (Grade A). Aiming for an A*? Try to complete the ‘Top Philosopher’ tasks!

Cow time! Literacy Target Check that you have spelt all the key words correctly. Four-dimensionalist approach. Take the time to check over the rest of your work for any other spelling mistakes. Ask for a dictionary or use the internet to check over any words that you are not sure are correct.

Free Will? In traditional Christianity, humans are considered to be autonomous beings that are morally responsible to God. We can determine from the ‘The Fall’ in Genesis 3 that: • Man is given responsibilities of caring for the world, for the animals and for choosing a suitable companion. • Man and woman have the freedom to use all resources except the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, they have restricted free will. • They are punished when they disobey, they must have had free will to decide to disobey God. • They are responsible for their decisions and must face the consequences of their choices. The paradox is; how can God be omnipotent and omniscient and humans be free and autonomous? If God is omniscient then he knows our every future freely made decision, the implication being that when we make a 'free' decision we are simply fulfilling a pre-determined action already mapped out for us by God.

Watch the video and answer the following questions: Do we have Free Will? Watch the video and answer the following questions: What is Libertarianism? What is determinism? Do you think we have freewill? Stretch yourself: What do you think the term theological determinism means?

Would problems might be involved visiting the past or future? Think, Pair, Share Would you like to be able to visit the past or the future? Why, or why not? Would problems might be involved visiting the past or future?

Re-cap: What are the issues? For Greek philosophy, the fundamental contrast is between a timeless eternity and the transitory, changing world, involving time and change. Classic example, God must be changeless, because if he changes, he must become more perfect. Or if he was perfect to start with then it means that he must become less perfect. If God is perfect (always) then God cannot change. The presupposition here is that perfection is static and unchanging. So, God is outside of time, in a changeless eternity. Therefore, God is immutable. God also knows the future timelessly… So, God acts on us, but we cannot affect or change him. It’s a one-way relationship, rather than a two-way relationship.

God and Time? Anselm’s Views Swinburne’s Views Anselm developed Boethius’ views further. He came up with what has become know as the four-dimensionalist approach to time. Anselm’s views contrast ‘presentism’, which is the view that only present moments exist. Anselm said that humans live in a presentist way but God is timeless just as he is spaceless. A four- dimensionalist approach sees time as the ‘fourth dimension’ along side height, width and depth which all relate to space. Swinburne argued that if God is immutable then God cannot said to be a person or have a life. He argues in order to have personal relationships with humans he has to be changeable. A timeless God would not be able to love because a timeless God is immutable and not effected anything. Swinburne argued a timeless God contradicted the bible and was too platonic.

Read the article and create a mind map on their views… Anselm and Swinburne Read the article and create a mind map on their views… Anselm and Swinburne Anselm argues God is unlimited by either time or space, and therefore God can be in the past, present and future all at once, just as he can be in the whole universe just at once. Swinburne argues God does not have fixed purposes. He interacts with people and changes his mind. This shows he is not immutable. Stretch yourself task: Include a Bible quote to support both Anselm’s and Swinburne’s views. Top Philosopher task: What did John Calvin think about Free Will?

Can we have free will with an omniscient God? Complete a Zig-Zag with for and against arguments… For Against For Stretch yourself: To reach a better A02 grade you must always link your arguments. E.g. However Swinburne would disagree with Anselm because….. Against Top philosopher: Include two synoptic links on your zig-zag!

Mini White Boards Describe one issue with God’s omniscience. Explain Anselm’s views on God’s Omniscience. Explain Swinburne’s views on God’s Omniscience. Explain your own opinion whether God experiences time like we do.