The Lost Legacy Of Anselm's Argument Analysis

Improved Essays
There is indication that belief does not have to be verifiable. There are some ideas that religion may not be accurate, however that is how someone applies their faith into practice. It is believed that belief depends on the specific individual. For example, belief can be applied through personal experience of how God has been faithful in their life or others’ life. In the article, “The Lost Legacy of Anselm's Argument: Re-Thinking the Purpose of Proofs for the Existence of God” explains about how many philosophers of religion, have confirm the existence of God and also have not confirmed the existence of God. Therefore, it is stated
“…some have argued that this is true in the case of ontological ora priori proofs, which establish that God
…show more content…
There are some people who believe because of faith and there are others who need concrete evidence to believe. Overall, these discussions may be convincing to others because they have faith but may not be convincing to others because they need more than faith. As Christian, we may be put into circumstances where someone may discussion or debate about the existence of God. For example, others may try to prove that He does not exist, and well others may prove that there is no existence to show that He does exist at all. It is important as Christians to stand affirm strong in our basis of faith and not let others influence us. In the article, “Walking Through Grief by Faith: Lessons from Lamentations 3:1-39” explains that even in the hard times in life turn to God because He is the ultimate source of peace. It states “Jeremiah’s lament [is] [the] way to grief in a godly way. Do not complain against God, but bring your sorrows to God in prayer. Look to Christ, remembering that, as it was with Him, so it will be with us: humiliation precedes exaltation (Phil. 2:5-11).” Throughout sorrow in life, having faith in God will provide a refuge and strength in dark times and light times …show more content…
The scripture is foundation of how we understand and get our perspective from God and learn how to be followers of Jesus. Then experience is how God works in our daily life and this is where we utilize our perspective. For example, this can be through church experience that may be good experiences or bad experiences. Then tradition is the history of the church, and the core values of what the church of Christians believe in. It is indicated that Scripture should have the highest significant influence as a basis of faith, then the next one is personal experience, and finally tradition. As a result, scripture is base evidence that we learn about God and how to abide in Christ in our daily life. Through scripture, it provides Christians evidence about how God is faithful and what it means to have a relationship with the trinity which is God, The Son, and The Holy Spirt. Therefore, the scripture is what guided the generation before and what will direct the future generation until Jesus’ return. Then personal experience follows next basis of faith. Through, personal experience it demonstrates how God has worked in your, how God is working in your current life, and then having that faith that God will be working in your life in the future. It is indicated that faith is not only an individual experience but a

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Chapter one of Practicing Christian Doctrine conveys the aspects and principles of theology and the Christian life. Theology is the study of the things of God. Part of theology is the discipline of learning scripture in order to faithfully speak about and understand God. Scripture helps us understand the ideals of the Christian life, such as discipleship, faith, and love. Scripture equips us for faithful living and teaches us wisdom and understanding.…

    • 1221 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In St. Anselm’s Ontological Argument, he believe that God exist in real world. He points out that nothing can be thought greater than God, and if God dose not exist, something exist must be greater than him which prove the existent of God. However, his argument is not sound. Things exist in our mind may not exist in real world. People understanding a thing cannot proves that people believe that thing.…

    • 490 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Throughout the book Proslogium, Anselm is writing directly to God and telling him how much he believes in him. Anselm states his opinion on God which is most commonly referred to as the Ontological Argument. He talks about how he believes God to be the greatest, highest, and most powerful being to ever exist in the universe. He believes that there is absolutely no possibility that there is any being that can be seen as being greater than God in any way, shape, or form. The Ontological Argument is a very good argument when trying to persuade others to believe in God, however there are some faults to the argument.…

    • 1685 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    This weeks discussion forum I chose to reference Anselm's Ontological Argument for the existence of God, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of his argument. From reading I determined that one of the main strengths of Anselm's argument is showing that the concept of God is not illogical, and that even a non-believer has to have a concept of God in their minds, and due to this a concept of God exists in reality. The argument also flourishes that a clear and rational conclusion can be drawn from it, leaving the argument with the only possible answer that God does exist. It also offers an actual proof of God's existence which can be logically debated rather than relying on unpredictable evidence. When I read more into weaknesses of the argument…

    • 220 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Saint Anselm’s Ontological Argument has generated philosophical excitement reaching beyond its era and well into our times. Anselm's ontological argument purports to be an a priori proof of God's existence (The Ontological Argument 2016). Anselm starts with premises that do not depend on experience for their justification and then proceeds through pure logic to reach the conclusion that God exists. His purpose is to correct the fool who says in his heart that there is no God (Psalms 14:1). This “fool” has two specific features: 1)…

    • 1188 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The existence of God is, and has been, a very highly debated philosophical argument that has bewildered philosophers since even before the age of ‘Enlightenment.’ Many of the different arguments put forth have not adequately proven God’s existence, although, in order to move forward, failed arguments must be studied to ensure that mistakes are not repeated. One such argument is that of Saint Anselm’s Ontological Argument. Anselm’s ontological argument is about the fact that nothing greater than God can be imagined.…

    • 1868 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Does the idea of perfection in any way imply the existence of perfection? This question formed the basis of Anselm’s Ontological argument. Anselm advocated the existence of God as an infinite and perfect being not just in the mind, but also in reality. This concept of the existence of a perfect being was challenged by another philosopher named Gaunilon, who compared the existence of God with that of a perfect island. Anselm’s reply to Gaunilon was that there is no comparison between the two, because God is an infinite conceivable “being” whereas an island is “by its very nature finite or limited; thus, cannot exist in an infinite (or ‘greatest conceivable’) manner” (Fieser and Stumpf 155).…

    • 254 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Anselm’s Ontological Argument Anselm creates the Ontological argument with one primary goal. He claims to succeed in developing an argument of the existence of God without the requirement of actual proof. Anselm 's reasoning and argument only gives a mere opinion on the topic of the existence of God. He formulates a two part hypothesis consisting of: God exists and God has always existed. Anselm’s Ontological argument expresses accusations that are simply in his favor or his outlook on God.…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Saint Anslem was a Catholic philosopher who wrote a proof through deduction for the existence of the Christian God. Ontology is the study of what there is, more specifically in this case, the entities that exist and the logic encompassing such thought. Therefore, an ontological argument is an argument that appeals to a being or an essence of a thing. Often, ontological arguments are unclear as to what the answer, or even, question is exactly; thus leaving the arguments open to thought, reflection, discussion and debate for centuries to follow.…

    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In this case, it is not applicable to the modern mind and the beings. People in modern times are accustomed to accepting truth based on facts that can be tested and retested (Layton 101). Needless to say, there is no way to be able to test the existence of a supernatural God that cannot be seen, heard or touched. In this case, people will believe what they have been told because it is passed down from one generation to another and not because it can be proven right or wrong. The lack of any aspects that can be proven about this supernatural God makes it impossible to accept St Anselm’s ontological argument.…

    • 1357 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    St. Anselm of Canterbury came up with an argument which attempts to prove the existence of God by proving the apparent absurdity of the atheist opinion. Anselm contrasts the ideas of existing in the understanding and existing in reality to show that God must truly exist in reality. The earliest critic of the ontological argument is a monk from Marmoutier named Gaunilo who believed that we can use logic to prove things that we have no reason to believe to be true. Gaunilo believed that he could construct an argument with exactly the same form as the ontological argument, that proves the existence of the “perfect Island”. I do not believe that Anselm successfully rebutted Gaunilo’s Lost Island argument; Anselm didn’t come up with a substantial…

    • 1681 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Thomas Aquinas Proof

    • 594 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican Monk during the time of the 11th century. Thomas Aquinas believe that “God was revealed through reason (natural revelation) and faith (special revelation)”(69). In one of his works “Proofs for the Existence of God”(70), Aquinas works out five ways that prove of God’s existence, going on to say “it is possible to demonstrates God’s existence, although not a priori (by pure reason), yet a posterior from some work of His more surely known to us”(70). In other terms to prove that a God does exists it does not fall on reason alone but more on to look at something of His created work. Aquinas’ first proof for the existence of God is “the point of view of motion”(71), going further on to say “everything that is moved is moved by…

    • 594 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    St. Anselm Analysis

    • 440 Words
    • 2 Pages

    St. Anselm, an Italian monk, first initiated the ontological argument. He was a firm As a firm believer in God and hoped to prove and share his strong faith on God’s existence by using logic and reason. He defines God as ‘something than which nothing greater can be thought.’ Anselm states that there is a difference between understanding God as a concept and understanding him to exist. To back up this claim he uses the analogy of a painter.…

    • 440 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Thomas Aquinas’s arguments consist mainly about reasons on God and how it can be proved that God exists. He incorporates the ideas of metaphysics and ethics to demonstrate the existence of a higher power. I agree to his argument that the existence of God is self-evident amongst is also demonstrable which is agreeable. The concept of self-evident is defined as no reason or proof is required to prove an objective. In Aquinas’s terms, self-evident can be associated with the belief that the existence of God doesn’t require any indications.…

    • 874 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Significant evidence for God’s existence has failed to settle the ongoing debate regarding whether or not God exists. Philosophers have formulated theories to either prove or disprove God’s existence. Evidently, there is not a correct theory since God’s existence can actually ever be proven, however, there are philosophers who are more successful in arguing for their views of God’s existence compared to other philosophers. Thomas Aquinas, a renowned philosopher and regarded as one of the greatest Christian theologians, philosophized about the existence of God. Aquinas’ five ways thoroughly explain how God exists by noting how certain notions in our universe cannot work solely on their own.…

    • 1008 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays