[Vision2020] The Myth of God Incarnate

Mon, 01 Mar 2004 11:15:56 -0800

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Greetings:

"The Myth of God Incarnate," Chapter Three of "God, Reason, and the 
Evangelicals" (University Press of America, 1987) is now at 
www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/gre.htm, along with the other chapters and 
related articles on religion.  Parts of the chapter were presented as the 
presidential address at the Northwest Conference on Philosophy in November 
of 1984.

Again I provide a reader's warning: this is fairly technical philosophical 
theology and it is not for the theologically faint hearted.

Here is one of the concluding paragraphs: "The arguments of this chapter 
have attempted to show that there are decided advantages to a religion 
without a literal divine incarnation.  First, one avoids the basic logical 
problems involved in the concept of a man-God.  Why should one add 
unnecessary logical problems to a worldview which atheists already find 
burdened with logical difficulties?  In other words, the cause of theism is 
enhanced significantly without the myth of God incarnate. Second, one 
preserves the seminal discovery of the ancient Hebrews:  that God is God 
and that creatures are creatures; and that one should not mix the nature 
and attributes of one with the other.  Third, one avoids the mythologizing 
that is inevitable when one wants to speak seriously of a literal 
God-made-flesh.

Nick Gier

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Greetings: 
&quot;The Myth of God Incarnate,&quot; Chapter Three of &quot;God,
Reason, and the Evangelicals&quot; (University Press of America, 1987) is
now at
<a href="http://www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/gre.htm" eudora="autourl">www.class.</a>uidaho<a href="http://www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/gre.htm" eudora="autourl">.edu/ngier/gre.htm</a>,
along with the other chapters and related articles on religion.&nbsp;
Parts of the chapter were presented as the presidential address at the
Northwest Conference on Philosophy in November of 1984.&nbsp; 
Again I provide a reader's warning: this is fairly technical
philosophical theology and it is not for the theologically faint
hearted. 
Here is one of the concluding paragraphs: &quot;The arguments of this
chapter have attempted to show that there are decided advantages to a
religion without a literal divine incarnation.&nbsp; First, one avoids
the basic logical problems involved in the concept of a man-God.&nbsp;
Why should one add unnecessary logical problems to a worldview which
atheists already find burdened with logical difficulties?&nbsp; In other
words, the cause of theism is enhanced significantly without the myth of
God incarnate. Second, one preserves the seminal discovery of the ancient
Hebrews:&nbsp; that God is God and that creatures are creatures; and that
one should not mix the nature and attributes of one with the other.&nbsp;
Third, one avoids the mythologizing that is inevitable when one wants to
speak seriously of a literal God-made-flesh. 
Nick Gier 
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