1. The
Existence of
God

2. Thomas Aquinas Date Aquinas lived Order Aquinas belonged to
Educational background
Scholasticism

3. Arguments for the Existence of God
The Five Ways –Thomas Aquinas
Argument from Motion
Argument from Efficient Causes
3. Argument from Possibility and Necessity
4. Argument from Gradation of Being
5. Argument from Design
St. Thomas Aquinas’s “Proofs”:
1. The Unmoved Mover - Whatever is in motion, has to be moved by something else
2. First Cause - Nothing causes itself
3. Everything Comes from Something - Nothing can’t create something
4. Supreme Model - Perfect model of goodness, truth, beauty is the perfect being we call God
5. Grand Designer - He made it all

4. Discussion Questions
Which proof of God’s existence leaves you with the most questions?
Which proof of God’s existence answers more of your questions?
3. Why do you believe or not believe in God?

5. The Problem of Evil
“Serious reasons” the problem of evil is uniquely important
Proof of atheism
Universal
Practical
Forms of the problem of evil
Any
Amount
Unjust distribution
Three levels of the problem of evil
Gut level
Intellectual level
Tangible level
The dilemma of evil
Original sin
Vicarious atonement
Four logical formulations of the problem of evil
Aquinas
Augustine
C.S. Lewis
Logical contradiction
Five possible solutions to the problem of evil
Atheism
Pantheism
Modern naturalism
Idealism
Biblical theism

6. The Problem of Evil Evil Free Will Omnipotence Goodness Happiness
Two misconceptions
What evil is and isn’t
Moral & Physical Evil
Free Will
Determinism
Divine Determinism
Omnipotence
Goodness
Kindness
Happiness
Shallow
Eudaimonia

7. The Nature of God Aquinas' Nine Attributes of God God is unique
God is infinite and omnipotent
God is eternal
God is immense
God contains all things
God is immutable
God is utterly simple – a pure spirit
God is personal
God is holy
Aquinas' Nine
Attributes of God
Is 45:18
Ps 135:5-6
Is 40:28
1 Kings 8:27
Wisdom 8:1
Ps 102:25-28
Exodus 20:4
Jer 31:3
Is 55:8
God is unique (Is 45:18)
“I am the Lord, and there is no other.”
God is infinite and omnipotent (Ps 135:5-6)
“…Our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases he does…”
God is eternal (Is 40:28)
“…Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God,…”
God is immense (1 Kings 8:27)
“Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you…”
God contains all things (Wisdom 8:1)
“She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and she orders all things well”
God is immutable ( Ps 102:25-28)
“…they will perish, but you endure…they pass away, but you are the same…”
God is utterly simple – a pure spirit (Exodus 20:4)
“You shall not make for yourself an idol…”
God is personal (Jer 31:3)
“The Lord appeared to him…I have loved you with an everlasting love…”
God is holy (Is 55:8)
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord”

8. Understanding God... How is God Revealed? God is Transcendent
Divine Revelation
God is Transcendent
God is Immanent
Divine Revelation refers to this free gift of God’s self communication by which he makes known the mystery of his divine plan
Revelation means “unveiling”
Scriptures stresses both God’s transcendence and immanence
Transcendence - God’s total otherness and being infinitely beyond and independent of creation
Immanence - God’s intimate union with and total presence to his creation
Mystery –
is a truth of the faith that is knowable, but inexhaustible
is knowable because God revealed it to us
is a reality beyond our full comprehension
God is Mystery

9. Understanding God... CCC 198-221 God Reveals Himself
God’s Name
What is revealed by God’s Name?
A God Merciful and Gracious
God Alone IS
God is Truth and Love
Belief in One God
Implications
Divine Revelation refers to this free gift of God’s self communication by which he makes known the mystery of his divine plan
Revelation means “unveiling”
Scriptures stresses both God’s transcendence and immanence
Transcendence - God’s total otherness and being infinitely beyond and independent of creation
Immanence - God’s intimate union with and total presence to his creation

10. Understanding God... Trinity CCC 232-260
The Central Mystery of Christian Life
The Revelation of God as Trinity
The Father Revealed by the Son
The Father and Son Revealed by the Spirit
The Holy Trinity in the Teaching of the Faith
Dogma of the Trinity

11. Trinitarian Symbols The Shield of the Trinity The Shamrock Tree Sun
Divine Revelation refers to this free gift of God’s self communication by which he makes known the mystery of his divine plan
Revelation means “unveiling”
Scriptures stresses both God’s transcendence and immanence
Transcendence - God’s total otherness and being infinitely beyond and independent of creation
Immanence - God’s intimate union with and total presence to his creation

12. Beliefs About God Atheism Agnosticism Theism Albert Camus Karl Marx
Friedrich Nietzsche
Sigmund Freud
Agnosticism
Theism
John Henry Newman
Experiences
Contemporary Theologians
Karl Rahner
Rosemary Radford Ruether
Paul Tillich