Theology Thursday - February 5th

Various Theological Philosophies

Theological philosophies are systems of thought that seek to understand, interpret, and explain the nature of God, divine revelation, and the relationship between God and humanity. Below is a comprehensive list of key theological philosophies, including brief explanations of each:

1. Theism

Definition: The belief in one or more deities who are actively involved in the world.

Key View: In Christian theism, God is personal, transcendent, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He created the universe and continues to sustain it.

Biblical Reference: Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

2. Deism

Definition: The belief that God created the universe but does not intervene in its operations.

Key View: Deists reject divine revelation, miracles, and the active involvement of God in human affairs. God is viewed as a distant, impersonal force.

Critique: Contradicts biblical teaching about God’s providence and miracles (e.g., Psalm 121:4).

3. Pantheism

Definition: The belief that God is identical with the universe and everything in it.

Key View: God is not personal but is the sum of all existence. This view is common in Eastern religions.

Biblical Refutation: Isaiah 45:5 – “I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me.”

4. Panentheism

Definition: The belief that the universe is part of God, but God is more than the universe.

Key View: While everything exists within God, He also transcends the universe. This philosophy blends theism with pantheism.

Critique: Diminishes God’s transcendence and separateness from creation, contrary to Colossians 1:17.

5. Atheism

Definition: The belief that there is no God or divine being.

Key View: Atheists deny the existence of any deity, often relying on materialistic and naturalistic explanations for the universe.

Biblical Refutation: Psalm 14:1 – “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”

6. Agnosticism

Definition: The belief that the existence of God is unknown or unknowable.

Key View: Agnostics neither affirm nor deny the existence of God, claiming there isn’t enough evidence to make a definitive conclusion.

Biblical Response: Romans 1:20 – “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen.”

7. Monotheism

Definition: The belief in one, singular God.

Key View: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are monotheistic. In Christianity, this is expressed through the doctrine of the Trinity—one God in three persons.

Biblical Reference: Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.”

8. Polytheism

Definition: The belief in many gods.

Key View: Common in ancient cultures like Greece, Rome, and Hinduism. Each god typically governs specific aspects of life or nature.

Biblical Refutation: Exodus 20:3 – “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

9. Henotheism

Definition: The belief in one supreme god without denying the existence of other gods.

Key View: Worship is directed primarily toward one deity while acknowledging others. Found in certain forms of Hinduism.

Critique: Conflicts with biblical monotheism (Isaiah 43:10).

10. Animism

Definition: The belief that spirits inhabit natural objects and phenomena.

Key View: Common in tribal and indigenous religions, animists see spiritual forces in trees, rivers, animals, etc.

Biblical Refutation: Romans 1:25 – “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.”

11. Naturalism

Definition: The belief that everything arises from natural properties and causes, rejecting supernatural intervention.

Key View: Emphasizes scientific explanations over spiritual or religious ones.

Critique: Contradicts the biblical worldview of a supernatural God (Hebrews 11:3).

12. Humanism

Definition: A philosophy that emphasizes human reason, ethics, and self-determination without reliance on the divine.

Key View: Focuses on human potential and achievements rather than on God or the supernatural.

Biblical Refutation: Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

13. Existentialism (Religious and Atheistic)

Definition: A philosophical approach focusing on individual existence, freedom, and choice.

Key View: Atheistic existentialists (like Sartre) reject God, while religious existentialists (like Kierkegaard) emphasize personal faith and the subjective experience of God.

Biblical Balance: The Bible affirms both personal responsibility and divine sovereignty (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

14. Postmodernism

Definition: A skeptical philosophy that questions objective truth, including religious claims.

Key View: Truth is seen as relative and subjective, often denying absolute moral or theological standards.

Critique: Opposes biblical claims of absolute truth (John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”).

15. Open Theism

Definition: The belief that God knows all possibilities but does not have exhaustive knowledge of future free will decisions.

Key View: Suggests that God’s knowledge is dynamic, changing as events unfold.

Biblical Refutation: Isaiah 46:10 – “Declaring the end from the beginning.”

16. Process Theology

Definition: The belief that God is not immutable but changes over time, growing and evolving with creation.

Key View: God is seen as persuasive rather than sovereign, reacting to the world rather than controlling it.

Critique: Contradicts Malachi 3:6 – “For I am the LORD, I change not.”

17. Classical Theism

Definition: The traditional view of God as immutable, impassible, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.

Key View: Rooted in Scripture and affirmed by early church fathers, it views God as sovereign and transcendent.

Biblical Support: Psalm 102:27 – “But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.”

18. Trinitarianism

Definition: The belief that God exists as three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—yet is one in essence.

Key View: Central to orthodox Christianity, affirming the unity and diversity within the Godhead.

Biblical Reference: Matthew 28:19 – “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

19. Unitarianism

Definition: The belief that God exists as one person, rejecting the doctrine of the Trinity.

Key View: Often denies the divinity of Christ, focusing solely on the oneness of God.

Biblical Refutation: John 1:1 – “The Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

20. Apatheism

Definition: Indifference toward the existence or non-existence of God.

Key View: Apatheists are unconcerned with theological questions, living as though God is irrelevant to daily life.

Biblical Challenge: Revelation 3:16 – “Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

Conclusion

Understanding these theological philosophies helps believers recognize the distinctiveness of the Christian faith and engage thoughtfully with differing worldviews. The Bible presents a clear, coherent picture of God as the one true, living, and sovereign Creator, who desires a relationship with His creation. As 1 Peter 3:15 encourages, we are to be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us, grounded in the truth of Scripture.