Omnipotence

I. Introduction to Omnipotence:

  • Omnipotence refers to ‘all-powerful’, meaning that God is capable of doing all things.

II. Traditional View of Omnipotence:

  • This perspective asserts that God can do everything, including the logically impossible, like making a round square.

III. Paradoxes and Challenges:

  • Paradox of the stone: If God is capable of lifting a stone he can’t carry, how can he be all-powerful? Solutions to this paradox brings out different interpretations of omnipotence.
  • Could God create a world where evil does not exist? This represents another challenge that links omnipotence to the problem of evil.

IV. Modern Interpretations of Omnipotence:

  • The contemporary view suggests that God can do all that is logically possible – God’s power is consistent with his nature.
  • Some theologies propose the idea of ‘relational omnipotence’, where God’s might is self-limited to allow free actions by humans.
  • Process Theology argues God’s power is persuasive rather than coercive – influencing rather than compelling.

V. Omnipotence in Different Religious Traditions:

  • Omnipotence in Christianity is often associated with God’s capacity for creation, sustenance and salvation.
  • In Islam, omnipotence is shown through God’s dominance over life and death, judgement and reward.
  • In Hinduism, aspects of God like Shiva and Durga symbolise omnipotence.

VI. Connection with Other Divine Attributes:

  • Omniscience (all-knowing) and omnipresence (present everywhere) often accompany omnipotence. These attributes together create a maximalist conception of Deity.
  • Relation to Divine Benevolence: If God is all-powerful and all-good, why does evil exist? This is the Epicurean paradox.

VII. Key Scholars and Philosophers:

  • Rene Descartes’ concept of God was one of absolute omnipotence, underlying his ontological argument for God’s existence.
  • Thomas Aquinas distinguishes between God’s ‘absolute power’ and ‘ordained power’.

VIII. Importance of Omnipotence to Faith:

  • Underlines the belief in miracles and divine intervention.
  • Offers a source of comfort and hope in times of adversity.
  • Underpins the belief in afterlife and divine justice.

IX. Critical Evaluation:

  • Does omnipotence make God too distant and unknowable?
  • Is the idea of omnipotence coherent, or does it lead to logical contradictions?
  • Are there moral issues with belief in omnipotence, if the world has so much suffering?