Anthology Analysis: Fourth Section

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Anthology Analysis Fourth Section

• By Samantha Harrison Aimee Clegg

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Extract

• The idea of knowing God by intuition through
  religious experiences is an attractive one for
  Christians, and it seems quite consistent with
  the teachings of the Bible about how God is
  known. Throughout the Bible God is viewed as
  personal, as one who communicates, draws near,
  and seeks fellowship with humanity, making
  himself known through natural things and in the
  lives and experiences of people. The world is the
  medium of his revealing activity, and by his
  gracious activity (the initiative he takes in
  approaching humanity for its own good) natural
  things and experiences become signs and symbols
  through which he is known. As one theologian put
  it
• Because nature is Gods and he is its creator, it
  lends itself to His use, and He can make its
  natural elements to speak sacramentally to us
  not in the sense of a natural theology which
  can prove the purpose of God from a mere
  contemplation of nature, but in the sense that
  God by His Word can use, and therefore we by our
  faith can use, natural objectsas sacramental
  expressions of His mercy and faithfulness.
• Not only does the knowledge-of-God-by-intuition
  approach fit well with biblical views of the ways
  God reveals himself, it also enables an account
  to be given of the human response to God, which
  is usually called faith. Faith, on this view,
  becomes a way of knowing as an intuitive
  response. It is not a kind of stretched belief,
  or assent to a set of dogmas without sufficient
  evidence. It is the basic intuitive awareness of
  God experienced as actively approaching humanity
  and seeking the human response of acknowledgement
  and trust. Another noted Christian theologian set
  out the relation between revelation and faith
  this way
• The essential content of revelation isGod
  Himself, and not general truths about God or the
  universe or immortality or the way of duty
  though such truths are implicit in the divine
  self-giving, as this is mediated ever more richly
  to the responsive soul in the changing situations
  of life, and are capable of reflective
  formulation.
• And the proper response to revelation is faith,
  faith being not an intellectual assent to general
  truths, but the decisive commitment of the whole
  person in active obedience to, and quiet trust
  in, the divine will apprehended as rightfully
  sovereign and utterly trustworthy at one and the
  same time.
• The knowledge a believer has of God, on this
  view, is a living awareness of a direct,
  intuitive kind. It may arise in different
  situations and be kept alive by many different
  kinds of experience, but for the person who has
  it, it requires no further argument or support.

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What do we understand about the extract?

• In the extract provided, Donovan claims that the
  concept
• of a God which makes himself known by intuition
  through
• religious experiences is compatible with the
  Biblical
• depiction of a God who communicates, draws near,
  and
• seeks fellowship with humanity. The extract
  also
• discusses how God can be known through finite
  objects
• which can be used as sacramental symbols.
  Furthermore,
• Donovan argues that faith is a type of intuition
  which does
• not adhere to a set of legalistic guidelines but
  rather an
• awareness, acknowledgement and trust towards God.
  
• Finally Donovan highlights the relationship
  between faith
• and revelation in which an intuitive faith stems
  from God
• simply revealing himself leading to reflective
  formulation
• of divine truths.

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What do we feel are important quotes?

• The idea of knowing God by intuition through
  religious experience is an attractive one for
  Christians. God is depicted throughout the Bible
  as personal and one that desires to engage with
  humanity. In fact, the example of Jesus Christ
  demonstrates Gods desire to reach out to his
  creation by sending his son.
• God by His word can use and we by our faith can
  use, natural objectsas sacramental expressions
  of His mercy and faithfulness. This echoes the
  concept that God (an infinite being) is known
  through finite objects, an idea expressed earlier
  in the article. Doctrine of the Incarnation/
  Eucharist.
• Faith, on this view, becomes a way of knowing as
  an intuitive response. Here, Donovan equates
  intuition and faith by claiming that faith is a
  type of intuition.
• The essential content of revelation isGod
  himself This ties in with the quote above
  because faith is not centred on knowing a set of
  Pharisaic-style rules but instead, it is a
  response to Gods revelation of himself.
• 
  
  
  
  
  

5
What technical terms can we explain?

• Gracious activity Grace is a theological
  concept which involves God reaching out and
  blessing mankind with gifts that limited humans
  could never achieve. Gods grace can be
  demonstrated in the Biblical story of the
  Prodigal Son.
• Faith Confident belief in the truth and value
  of something that does not rest on logical proof
  or material evidence.
• Symbol A visible representation of something
  which is invisible and shares metaphorical
  qualities e.g. Jesus is the Lamb of God (the lamb
  symbolises sacrifice.
• Revelation Gods disclosure of himself to his
  creation.

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What have we already studied at AS A2 in order
to understand this passage?

• Teleological Argument- Evidence of design in the
  world suggests an intelligent creator- could be
  compatible with Donovans claim that God allows
  humans to experience him through natural things.
• Problem of Evil Suffering- Does this follow for
  natural objects which causes suffering such as
  volcanoes, cancerous cells etc.
• Situation Ethics- Theological Positivism, takes a
  less legalistic approach.
• Natural Law-Aquinas claimed that reason was
  God-given and perhaps reason is a form of
  intuition.

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What examples can we give to show our
understanding?

• 1 Corinthians 19 God, who has called you into
  fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is
  faithful.- This demonstrates the way in which
  God seeks to communicate with humanity and
  reinforces why it is an attractive idea for
  Christians.
• Symbol of wedding ring Shows the way in which
  God uses a natural, finite object (metal ring) as
  a sacramental expression of infinite concepts
  of love and fidelity. Eucharistic bread wine-
  Gods salvation and forgiveness.
• Moses The Ten Commandments Donovan claims
  that the essential content of revelation is God
  himself. One could claim that when Moses went up
  Mount Sinai, God did not give him a list of
  commands, he simply revealed himself to Moses who
  was able to reflect on Gods revelation and
  deduce the commandments.
• St. Thomas Aquinas Donovan claims that for those
  who have faith, they do not require further
  argument or support- this idea is supported by
  Aquinas quote- To one who has faith, no
  explanation is necessary. To one without faith,
  no explanation is possible.

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What are the implications of this extract on our
view of religion and human experience?

• If knowing God through intuition is an attractive
  idea for Christians, then is Donovan excluding
  those from other religious traditions?
• If God is a loving and benevolent God, then
  Donovans viewpoint is compatible as surely God
  would want human beings to experience him through
  other natural parts of his creation?
• If God is experienced through natural objects,
  does the same principle apply for objects of
  natural evil which cause human suffering?
• If Donovan claims that intuition is the same as
  faith, then do we run the risk of confusing
  non-religious and religious intuitions. Surely
  there is a difference between intuitions of
  whether it will rain today or an intuition of God
  through a sacramental symbol?

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Do we agree with the main thrust of the extract?

• Sam On the whole, I agree with the main thrust
  of the extract because I believe that such an
  approach to intuition is compatible with the
  Christian faith and teachings in the Bible of a
  God who draws near to the humans he loves. This
  ties in with a concept expressed later in the
  article about I-You relationships God wants to
  have an I-You relationship with us. I also
  strongly agree with the concept that humans can
  experience God through finite things as the
  example of Jesus Christ typifies this concept
  because humans were able to experience God who is
  infinite through the finite object of Jesus body
  i.e. Jesus was truly God and truly man (the
  Doctrine of the Incarnation. However, I do not
  agree with Donovans claim that faith is a type
  of intuitive response as I feel that examples
  of intuition that were given previously in the
  article such as I know you are the person I saw
  on the bus yesterday are not the same as a quiet
  awareness of God, which Donovan defines as faith.
  

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Do we agree with the main thrust of the extract?

• Aimee