Wrestling with the God-Concept

1929 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-4
Author(s):  
A. C. Kemper ◽  
Keyword(s):  
God Concept

The Problem of Alternative Monotheisms: Another Serious Challenge to Theism

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-51
Author(s):  
Raphael Lataster
Keyword(s):  
Infinite Number ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
God Concept ◽  
Classical Theism ◽  
The World ◽  
Divine Transcendence ◽  
Hiddenness Of God

Theistic and analytic philosophers of religion typically privilege classical theism by ignoring or underestimating the great threat of alternative monotheisms.[1] In this article we discuss numerous god-models, such as those involving weak, stupid, evil, morally indifferent, and non-revelatory gods. We find that theistic philosophers have not successfully eliminated these and other possibilities, or argued for their relative improbability. In fact, based on current evidence – especially concerning the hiddenness of God and the gratuitous evils in the world – many of these hypotheses appear to be more probable than theism. Also considering the – arguably infinite – number of alternative monotheisms, the inescapable conclusion is that theism is a very improbable god-concept, even when it is assumed that one and only one transcendent god exists.[1] I take ‘theism’ to mean ‘classical theism’, which is but one of many possible monotheisms. Avoiding much of the discussion around classical theism, I wish to focus on the challenges in arguing for theism over monotheistic alternatives. I consider theism and alternative monotheisms as entailing the notion of divine transcendence.

Depictions of God in the Drawings of German-Muslim Children

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 106-132
Author(s):  
Yasemin Güleç
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
God Concept ◽  
Empirical Inquiry ◽  
The World ◽  
Muslim Children ◽  
Turkish German

Abstract This empirical inquiry aimed to examine the qualitative differences of the ‘God’ concept of Turkish-German Sunni Muslim children living in Germany. In this study, non-anthropomorphic drawings did not increase gradually with age. Anthromoporphic God depictions seem to be ontologically moving away from people with age. In the present study, indirect God depictions occurred six times more than the direct God depictions. ‘Religious-cultural drawings’ were the most common in the sample. The girls drew more aesthetic drawings that expressed an emotional bond with God. Boys depicted God more rationally and pragmatically in regard to human life and the world.

Our Father Which Art in Heaven: Parataxic Distortions in the Image of God

1982 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Heinrichs
Keyword(s):  
Image Of God ◽  
Childhood Development ◽  
Object Relations Theory ◽  
God Concept ◽  
Relational Experiences ◽  
Biblical History ◽  
Object Relatedness ◽  
Perceptions Of God ◽  
The Image Of God

One's God-concept, herein referred to as the “image of God,” is a major determinant of the quality of one's personal relationship with God. In addition, the image of God one maintains may be observed to correlate with one's capacity for relational experiences with significant others. In this article object relations theory is applied to perceptions of God. The development of object relatedness in the child is discussed and the concept of parataxic distortions in the image of God is considered within the context of biblical history and childhood development. Parataxic distortions as found in the psychotherapeutic relationship are also briefly addressed, as is the psychotherapeutic resolution of distorted God-percepts.

scholarly journals Attachment, Working Models of Self and Others, and God Concept in Kindergarten

2001 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 607-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone A. De Roos ◽  
Siebren Miedema ◽  
Jurjen Iedema
Keyword(s):  
God Concept ◽  
Working Models

GOD‐CONCEPT SOCIALIZATION: SOME EXPLANATIONS FROM PIAGET

1990 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-315
Author(s):  
Robert Williams
Keyword(s):  
God Concept

scholarly journals Why Santa Claus is Not a God

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 149-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Science ◽  
Cognitive Science Of Religion ◽  
Strategic Information ◽  
God Concept ◽  
God Concepts ◽  
Mickey Mouse ◽  
Intentional Agent ◽  
Santa Claus ◽  
Human World ◽  
Science Of Religion

AbstractThrough the lenses of cognitive science of religion, successful god concepts must possess a number of features. God concepts must be (1) counterintuitive, (2) an intentional agent, (3) possessing strategic information, (4) able to act in the human world in detectable ways and (5) capable of motivating behaviors that reinforce belief. That Santa Claus appears to be only inconsistently represented as having all five requisite features Santa has failed to develop a community of true believers and cult. Nevertheless, Santa concepts approximate a successful god concept more closely than other widespread cultural characters such as Mickey Mouse and the Tooth Fairy, in part explaining Santa's relative cultural prominence.

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