Responding to Miracle Questions
My friend Ryan Patrick McLaughlin sent a series of questions and criticisms. I’ve responded to several in previous blog essays. This is the final essay in my series of responses. Ryan wonders about my view of miracles. He gives voice to questions I’ve heard from others, so I suspect my response will interest many. What […]
Is the World Eternal? Does it Predate God?
For more than a decade, I’ve argued that theists should reject the idea God creates something from nothing (creatio ex nihilo). I often explain why and offer an alternative view of God’s creating: creatio ex creatione sempiternalis in amore. You can find my arguments in the recently published T&T Clark Handbook on Suffering and the […]
Three Bold Moves
I recently gave a talk in Oxford at the British Society for the Philosophy of Religion. My lecture, “Three Bold Moves to Make Sense of God’s Love,” was well attended and well received. I thank my fellow session presenters Lina Langby and Philip Goff for the great interaction and the session chair, Fiona Ellis. Below […]
Responding to Ryan Patrick McLaughlin (1/3)
When criticizing some of my ideas in The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence, my friend John Sanders mentioned the work of another friend, Ryan Patrick McLaughlin. It had been years since Ryan and I had communicated, so I appreciate John alerting me to Ryan’s recent work. Ryan kindly responded with an email of […]
The Worship Problem
Theists in general and Christians in particular often worship a God they call “omnipotent.” This practice creates profound problems. In The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence, I address those problems. In one chapter, I focus on lyrics and liturgies that proclaim God as all-powerful. My argument: they implicitly endorse abusive politicians and policies. […]
My Response to Sanders on Omnipotence
I want to thank my friend John Sanders for his thoughtful critique of my recent book, The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence. See that critique here. In the following, I respond to John. His comments push me to be clearer, but I’m not convinced by his criticisms. I continue to find my arguments […]
The “Almighty” Problem in Scripture
In my book The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence, I explain how omnipotence and almighty are not rightly associated with scripture. In this essay, I lay out the problem with English translations of the New Testament that call God “almighty.” Almighty Is Rare “Almighty” appears ten times as a translation of Pantokrator in […]
7 Reasons Omnipotence Leads to Atheism
Evil The experience of evil leads millions to unbelief and most believers to bewilderment. Worshipping God as omnipotent implicates the Almighty as either causing or permitting horrendous events and unnecessary suffering. An omnipotent God is guilty. In my book, The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence, I explore why believing God is omnipotent makes […]
Can God Decide to Stop Giving Life?
At the conclusion of The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence, I address the question in this essay title. It comes in my discussion of amipotence, which is the power of God’s uncontrolling love. The Spirit Gives Life The divine Spirit provides integrity, agency, self-organization, and freedom to all creation, depending on their complexity. God gives robust […]
Love Before Power
In my forthcoming book, The Death of Omnipotence and Birth of Amipotence, I argue that God’s power is the power of love. And love comes first in God. In previous blogs, I’ve identified reasons we should stop saying God is omnipotent. And I wrote an essay on why “amipotence” is a good alternative. I’m not the first […]