Pantheism, Panentheism, The Trinity II: Non-exhaustive

Pantheism, Panentheism, The Trinity III: Briefly

Related archives

Sunday, April 01, 2012 Panentheism (PhD Edit)/iTunes Personally Evolving Toward Classical

Wednesday, August 10, 2016 The Trinity: Panentheism & Pantheism

Pantheism 

From Cambridge

Pantheism is the view that ‘God is identical with everything’ Martinich (1996: 556). Pantheism may be the result of tendencies, such as 'an intense religious spirit' and 'the belief that all reality is in some way united'.  Martinich (1996: 556). 'Spinoza is the most distinguished pantheist in Western philosophy. He argued that since substance is completely self-sufficient, and that only God is self-sufficient; God is the only substance. Martinich. (1996: 556).

Pantheism presents as a worldview that God is in everything and that God and the universe are one. Blackburn (1996: 276). Blackburn also documents that Benedictus de Spinoza (1632-1677) is noted for this view within Western philosophy.

From Spinoza 'Ethics' (1677)

Although each particular thing be conditioned by another particular thing to exist in a given way, yet the force whereby each particular thing perseveres in existing follows from the eternal necessity of God's nature. [ii.45] 

God is one, that is, only one substance can be granted in the universe. [I.14] 

Whatsoever is, is in God, and without God nothing can be, or be conceived. {I.15] 

God is the indwelling and not the transient cause of all things. All things which are, are in God. Besides God there can be no substance, that is, nothing in itself external to God. [I.17] 

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 

There is only an infinite substance (1P14), that is, there are no created substances. The infinite substance consists of infinite attributes (1D6). (Spinoza in Ethics) 

From Oxford

Scientifically 'substance', to use the term from Spinoza, such as time, space, matter and energy are considered finite having perhaps originated with a 'big bang'. With all due respect to my 'young earth' readers, this 'big bang theory' is a cosmological theory that all matter and energy in the universe originated from a state of enormous density and temperature 'that exploded at a finite moment in the past' where space and time came into existence. (Oxford Dictionary of Science: 85). According to the Oxford Dictionary of Science, the universe will eventually have a heat death. (386). When entropy is maximized and 'all large-scale samples of matter are at a uniform temperature.' (386). Future 'heat death' indicates a finite universe.

Biblical theology

Biblical theology would support a view that the physical universe such as time, space, matter and energy are created and maintained by God that is infinite and eternal. Genesis 1 appears to describe in religious, not scientific history, the origin of the material, physical universe. Theologically, the biblical revelation demonstrates God as having existed before the creation of all things, both material and the finite spiritual (Genesis 1, John 1, Colossians 1, as examples).

Philosophy of Religion

Cambridge opines that it is not obvious that theism requires a personal notion of God. (556). I can grant that it is not empirically, scientifically provable that a God exists, and therefore it is not empirically provable that a personal God exists. God is spirit: John 4: 24 and is therefore not provable by empirical means within the Christian worldview. A non-biblical, theistic, philosophy of religion points toward a first and primary cause of all things.

The finite comes from the infinite.

Therefore,  finite, time, space, matter, energy come from an infinite cause.

For clarity, I claim with internal and external reasonable (not absolute 100%) certainty that anything finite arises from a personal, infinite cause.

Saturday, February 04, 2017: Reasonable not absolute certainty required

Reasonable certainty is that internally and externally premises and conclusion (s) are consistent and not disproved by counter propositions and conclusions. Absolute 100% certainty belongs only to an infinite personalized entity with omnipotence and omniscience, that being God. 

Based on science, biblical theology and philosophy of religion I disagree with Spinoza that all substance is infinite. I also disagree with Spinoza that all substance is God.

Panentheism

Cambridge differentiates pantheism from panentheism as 'panentheism, the view that God is in all things. Just as water might saturate a sponge and in that way he is the entire sponge, but not identical with the sponge. God might be in everything without being identical with everything. Martinich (1996: 556).

David H. Nikkel (2003) defines panentheism as from the Greek meaning ‘all is in God’. Nikkel (2003: 1). Both God’s transcendence and immanence are accepted, as the world and matter is in God, and God is ‘all-encompassing with respect to being.’ Nikkel (2003: 1). 

Panentheism attempts to ‘avoid the pitfalls’ of traditional theism. Nikkel (2003: 1). God is prohibited from having a true and genuine relationship with matter and the universe because of traditional theistic views such as that God is immutable, impassible, and eternal and timeless. Nikkel (2003: 1). God is not eternal within this view. Panentheism is an intellectual compromise between traditional theism and pantheism. Kreeft and Tacelli (1994: 94). Within panentheism, God is more than just the material universe, as there is an unchanging aspect to God’s being and also a dynamic aspect to God as the divine being changes as matter and the universe do. Kreeft and Tacelli (1994: 94). 

From what I have stated, I do not believe in a finite, non-eternal God. Note this difference in panentheism from the eternal God of pantheism.

The Trinity

Within a trinitarian, biblical perspective, God as transcendent is beyond the finite, material universe. God is the first cause of all things and sustains all finite creation. God is not the vital force within his finite creation, but sustains and maintains it. 

God’s nature does not equate to any human nature, for example. The infinite God causes the finite without being finite (This is not contradicted by Jesus Christ, the Word of God taking finite human nature in the incarnation without ceasing to be infinite God). God is immanent within his creation, but his infinite, eternal nature is not mixed with finite nature of any kind. Deity and humanity, two natures, are also not mixed in the incarnation of Christ. 

The finite is not infinite. A finite thing is also not eternal. The finite cannot become infinite. The finite cannot become eternal. The finite, can possibly become everlasting. Finite attributes therefore cannot evolve into infinite attributes.

God in pantheism may be considered to be equal with a tree.

God in panentheism may be considered beyond the tree, but the vital force within it. 

In my traditional Christian theistic understanding, God is beyond a tree and sustains it, but is not the vital force within it. The vital force is scientifically, theologically and philosophically finite and is sustained by the infinite triune God. This is my example based on Erickson’s presentation. Erickson (1994: 303-307).

BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press. 

ERICKSON, MILLARD (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

KREEFT, PETER and RONALD K. TACELLI (1994) Handbook of Christian Apologetics, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press. 

NIKKEL, DAVID H. (2003) ‘Panentheism’, in Encyclopedia of Science and Religion, MacMillan Reference USA, New York.

MARTINICH, A.P. (1999) ‘Pantheism’ in Robert Audi, (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

Oxford Dictionary of Science, (2010), Sixth Edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

SPINOZA, BENEDICT D (Baruch), (1677)(2014) Ethics, translated by RHM Elwes, Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, United States. 

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 

Spinoza’s Works 

Spinoza Opera, edited by Carl Gebhardt, 5 volumes (Heidelberg: Carl Winters, 1925, 1972 [volume 5, 1987]). Abbreviated in SEP entry as G. Note: A new critical edition of Spinoza’s writings is now being prepared by the Groupe de recherches spinoziste; this will eventually replace Gebhardt. As of July 2012, three volumes have appeared: Tractatus Theologico-Politicus, Tractatus Politicus, and Premiers écrits, all published by Presses Universitaires de France. 

Spinoza, Benedictus, The Collected Writings of Spinoza, 2 vols., Edwin Curley, translator (Princeton: Princeton University Press, vol. 1: 1985; vol. 2: 2016). The Ethics is in vol. 1; the Theological Political Treatise is in vol. 2. 

Spinoza, Theological-Political Treatise, Samuel Shirley, translator, second edition (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 2001). Abbreviated in SEP entry as S. 

Spinoza, The Letters, Samuel Shirley, translator (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 1995).

Carbon dating

Facebook

The airplane video: Apparently the pilot was told not to let Arne fly the plane. But I suppose he let Arne, with his fancy Stetson hat, pretend to play cowboy and the plane was a 'horsie'.

 

Being in that type of water would be nice today.

Monday Bullets: Lovable Bear?

• My good friend from Norway, with the fashionable Stetson hat, is now embracing the title Deputy Dawg. That video has me imagining that bear breaking into Deputy Dawg's rural Norwegian mansion as the Deputy is stunned during his afternoon nap. During this nap, the Deputy has trained his mind to be hard at work maintaining law and order, according to Romans 13. The Deputy assumes it is a relative or neighbour looking for a beer and nachos and goes back to sleep...

• In general: Is the basis for rejection from an employer, for one job, the basis for acceptance from an employer, for another job? 

• In general: Is the basic for rejection from one type of romantic partner, the basis for acceptance from another type of romantic partner? 

• In the both cases, the answer is more so in the negative. In general: It is the strengths of the person involved that serve as reasons for acceptance. Hmm...something to ponder on.

• Overall in life: Should a person promote his/her negatives, accepting the results, or should a person promote his/her strengths? I think it better to promote strengths and work on weaknesses.

• Back to the Deputy. He states on Zoom (paraphrased) 'I do half the work required in twice the time needed'. Please do not judge him negatively. With the Norwegian sunset and sunrise being only a few hours apart this summer, this comedy genius is actually hard at work, asleep, awake or sort of awake, creating new comedy material as the Norwegian Benny Hill.

• Our Zoom meetings featured a discussion on strange tattoos, and our personal disinterest. 

• By grace through faith, seeking to suffer obediently in God's perfect will, can actually lead to a greater understanding of problems of evil, as one grows in character through Jesus Christ and the triune God.

Romans 5: 1-5 

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, [a]we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and [b]we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but [c]we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

1. Romans 5:1 Two early mss read let us have

2. Romans 5:2 Or let us exult 

3. Romans 5:3 Or let us also exult

Arne has started the hat trend on Zoom.

Quote: Perfect people are crucified-Bullets and introducing Deputy Dawg

Zoom: July 17, 2020: We had six on...

 • The Norwegian Benny Hill, also known as the quite fashionable Deputy Dawg, stated (paraphrased): Perfect people are crucified. The context of his comments was our imperfection as Christians and human beings living within the present fallen and corrupt world system (Genesis 1-3, Romans 1-3).This in comparison to Jesus Christ as God-incarnate that lived within our world system  in sinless perfection.

• King James Bible (KJV): For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

 • Now of course every crucified person other than Jesus Christ was non-perfect, but I think a point from the Deputy was that even if we as Christians were perfect, the world system would still reject us.

•  Theologically, we should therefore obey the laws of the land, relevant laws from governments, where we can stay true to the gospel and New Testament theology; but we should not, without significant reason, submit to political correctness within the world system. In our case, within the western world.

•  J.C. Zombie, ZOM BIE, was so impressed with the classic look from Deputy Dawg, that he requested that the same quite fashionable hat be sent to him from Norway.

• According to the philosophy of some, it seems to me, especially in the western world, the sumo wrestler should not go to bed at night in good conscience that he has ontological (existence), intellectual, value. 

• Often from secular sources when 'education' is mentioned in worldview contexts, it means the re-education of persons that do not follow the present secular 'orthodoxy'.

 

Terrytoons