Theism

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

etymologically equivalent to belief in a god or gods, and as such opposed to ATHEISM (q. v.), is now usually understood to mean the doctrine of the one, supreme, personal God, "in whom we live, and move, and have our being"-as gument from design, proceeds from the distinguished from POLYTHEISM (q. v.), order and arrangement of the universe, which recognizes more gods than one; the reign of law and beauty and adaptafrom PANTHEISM (q. v.), which denies tion, to the intelligent and supreme the divine personality; CISM (q. v.), which denies that we can miliar of the arguments, especially on know anything of God; and from DEISM the lines laid down by Paley. (q. v.), which, etymologically equivalent to Theism, is generally ly defined as recognizing the personality of God, but denying His providence and active presence in the life of the world. Deism further explicitly rejects revelation and trinitarian conceptions of the godhead, while Theism may or may not accept these doctrines. Theism as the doctrine of the nature and attributes of God covers a large part of the field of theology and speculative philosophy. But in practice it is usually restricted to the maintenance of the the sis that God may be known; the history of the origin and development of the idea of God; and the statement, criticism, and defense of the arguments for the existence of God. The main part of its work is apologetic, in opposition to the hostile systems and theories, rather than a THEOLOGY (q. v.). scheme of systematic atic No competent apologist now stakes the existence of God on any one argument, or exhibits the proof as a series of syllogisms. It is rather maintained that the study of human history, of human nature, especially on its moral and spiritual side, and of the world as far as science reveals it to us make for the existence of a God, demand such a postulate as the key to the universe, and render the belief in a personal God greatly more probable than any other thesis. But it is necessary to name what are often referred to as the four great arguments for the existence of God. (1) The ontological argument first formulated by St. Anselm proceeds from the notion of a most perfect being to infer his existence; without actual existence the idea would fall short of perfection. The argument was restated in a different shape by Descartes (q. v.) and by Samuel Clarke, and, though very contemptuously treated by Kant, is still an element of the argument that without a God the world is a chaos. (2) The cosmological argument, employed by Aristotle, Aquinas, and a host of Christian authors, is an application of what is called the principle of Causality. We cannot conceive an infinite regression of finite causes; therefore beyond the last or first of the finite causes is the Infinite. From motion the argument is to a mover. (3) The theological argument, or arfrom AGNOSTI- fountain of order. This is the most fa- (4) The moral argument was that relied on by Kant when he destructively criticized the other three, and forms a part of the most modern theistic arguments. God is a postulate of our moral ature; and the moral law in us implies nature; a lawgiver without us.