I Don't Have Enough FAITH to Be an ATHEIST

How Did Thomas Aquinas Prove the Existence of God? | with Dr. David Haines

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Mar 28, 2023

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INSIGHT

Aquinas on Change

Change, or "movement," in Aquinas' view encompasses all forms, not just physical motion.
It includes changes in quality, substance, and even coming into or going out of existence.

INSIGHT

Aquinas' Fifth Way

Aquinas' Fifth Way posits that things lacking volition are directed toward their ends by an intelligent being.
This resembles an archer directing an arrow, implying a designer God.

INSIGHT

Importance of Final Causality

Final causality, the inherent purpose of a thing, underpins various fields like medicine.
Without understanding a heart's purpose, a surgeon cannot repair it effectively.

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Do we need deep scientific knowledge in order to make arguments for the existence of God? Or can we demonstrate a general, objective, rational case for God’s existence using common observations found in our everyday life? Philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas introduced the world to his “Five Ways” for the existence of God back in the 13th century, and they are still being discussed and debated today. There are some similarities between Aquinas’ Five Ways and many other common arguments for the existence of God (Kalam cosmological, moral, teleological, etc.) but there are also some important distinctions to keep in mind.

In this midweek podcast episode, Frank sits down with Dr. David Haines, assistant professor of theology and philosophy at Bethlehem College and Seminary, to discuss two of the five arguments Aquinas used to prove the existence of God. David is active in research related to ancient and medieval philosophy, early Reformed theology, C.S. Lewis, Thomism, natural law, and natural theology. He has given conference presentations and published a number of articles and books in these areas, including Natural Theology and Natural Law. As Frank and David introduce the audience to two of these Five Ways of Aquinas, you will see that their (relative) simplicity can be deceiving, and their nuances will continue to spark discussion for many more centuries to come!

To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST, be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry.

David at Bethlehem College and Seminary: http://bit.ly/3XREnn5

Natural Theology: A Biblical and Historical Introduction and Defense: https://a.co/d/40Qj0Sn

Natural Law: A Brief Introduction and Biblical Defense: https://a.co/d/cnIo1HP

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