1. What does pantheism mean?
Rapid Recall!
Fill in the table with what you remember from memory! Prizes for the first correctly filled in one!
What is a monotheist?
What does pantheism mean?
What are qualities of the Prime mover?
What is deism?
How does Plato think our world was made?
What does the sun represent in the Analogy of the Cave?

2. Learning Outcomes
To be able to describe the difference between the Old and New Testament.
To be able to explain why Christians believe God is omnipotent.
To be able to, begin to, evaluate the issues surround God’s omnipotence.

3. Judaeo-Christian God
This refers to the concept of God held by the traditions of Judaism and Christianity. There are elements of this idea of God that echo the ideas of Plato and Aristotle and there may have been influenced but there also slight differences.
Whereas Plato and Aristotle believed that the truth could be known via reason…
Judaism and Christianity teach that answers to ultimate questions can be found through faith, the bible and religious experience.

4. Unlike the works of Plato and Aristotle...
The Jewish Torah is known to Christians as the old testament. It relates to the pre-Christian era. The New testament is a collection of texts relating to the life of Jesus and the early Church and is only authoritative for Christians. However there are some differences in the nature of God on the Hebrew bible and the New Testament…

5. The Christian God?
Sort out the characteristics of God, is it referring to the God of the New Testament or the God of the Old Testament? Old Testament New Testament
Stretch yourself: Which Testament was influenced by the Ancient Greek Philosophers?

6. Remember the paradox of the stone and the inconsistent trid!
Omnipotent
The idea that God is omnipotent, is now a familiar one in Christian thought. Power is the ability to do things. As perfect, God will have perfect power, or the most power possible. The most obvious definition of omnipotence is ‘the power to do anything’ (Latin omni, ‘all’; potent, ‘powerful’).
But does ‘anything’ include, for instance, the logically impossible? Could God make = 5? Could God create a married bachelor? Some pious philosophers have wanted to say yes – logic is no limit on God’s power. However, there is simply no way we can meaningfully say this.
Remember the paradox of the stone and the inconsistent trid!

7. So why do they think God is All-powerful?
God’s omnipotence is the Bible is shown through him providing a son for Abraham and Sarah despite Sarah being well beyond her child bearing years – “is anything too hard for the Lord?”.
Miracles demonstrate God’s omnipotence but there are things that God would never want to do because they are against his nature such as failing.
Christian theologians have taken the view that if God did not have supreme power, he would not be able to do the things that are necessary for human salvation such as saving people from their sins, resurrecting the dead and giving them eternal life in heaven.

8. Omnipotent?
Read through the article and complete the fact file on this attribute of God…
Stretch yourself task:
Which philosophers do know that supported the idea of God’s omnipotence?
Top Philosopher task: Explain the idea that God must be, by definition, omnipotent…

9. The Debate
Complete the speech bubbles to show a potential debate on God’s whether can logically be omnipotent.
Stretch yourself:
Consider the implications for:
Free will and moral responsibility
Logic and Square Circles
Moral rules
Top Philosopher task: Research ‘The Euthyphro Dilemma’ and add any problems it raises your chart.

10. If these are the answers, what were the question?
Old testament New Testament Sarah Miracle Free will Square Circles

11. Learning Outcomes
To be able to describe the difference between the Old and New Testament.
To be able to explain why Christians believe God is omnipotent.
To be able to, begin to, evaluate the issues surround God’s omnipotence.