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Omnibenevolence is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "unlimited or infinite benevolence". The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English It is a technical term used more in the academic literature on the philosophy of religion, often in the context of the problem of evil and in theodical responses, and even in such context, the phrases "perfect goodness" or "moral perfection" are often preferred. Philosophy of religion is a branch of Philosophy that is concerned with the philosophical study of religion including arguments over the nature and existence of God religious In the Philosophy of religion and Theology, the problem of evil is the problem of reconciling the existence of Evil or Suffering in the world Theodicy (θiːˈɒdɪsi (adjectival form theodicean) is a specific branch of Theology and Philosophy that attempts to reconcile the existence of

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Etymology

Omnibenevolence appears to have a very casual usage among some Protestant Christian commentators. The earliest record for its use in English, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is in 1679. The Catholic Church does not appear to use the term omnibenevolent in the liturgy or Catechism. A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions A catechism (ˈkætəkɪzəm κατηχισμός is a summary or exposition of Doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament

Modern appearances of the term include George H. Smith, in June 1980, in his book Atheism: The Case Against God,[1] where he argued that divine qualities are inconsistent. George Hamilton Smith (born February 10, 1949 in Japan, the son of a U However, the term is also used by authors who defend the coherence of divine attributes, including but not limited to, Jonathan Kvanvig in The Problem of Hell,[2] and Hoffman and Rosenkrantz in The Divine Attributes. [3]

Philosophical perspectives

The term is patterned on, and often accompanied by, the terms "omniscience" and "omnipotence", typically to refer to conceptions of an "all-good, all-knowing, all-powerful" deity. Omniscience (ɒm'nɪsɪəns (or Omniscient Point-of-View in writing is the capacity to know everything infinitely or at least everything that can be known about a character Omnipotence ( Omni Potens: "all Power " is unlimited power Philosophers and theologians more commonly use phrases like "perfectly good",[4] or simply the term "benevolence". The word "omnibenevolence" may be interpreted to mean perfectly just, all-loving, fully merciful, or any number of other qualities, depending on precisely how "good" is understood. As such, there is little agreement over how an "omnibenevolent" being would behave.

The notion of an omnibenevolent, infinitely compassionate deity, has raised certain atheological objections, such as the problem of evil and the problem of hell. Atheism In the Philosophy of religion and Theology, the problem of evil is the problem of reconciling the existence of Evil or Suffering in the world The problem of hell is an argument against the existence of God. Responses to such problems are called theodicies and can be general, by arguing for the coherence of the divine such as Swinburne's Providence and the Problem of Evil, or they can address a specific problem, such as Charles Seymour's A Theodicy of Hell. Theodicy (θiːˈɒdɪsi (adjectival form theodicean) is a specific branch of Theology and Philosophy that attempts to reconcile the existence of

Religious perspectives

The idea of God's omnibenevolence in Christianity is based on Psalms 18:30, "As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Psalms ( Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים, or "praises" is a book of the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament) included " It is also supported by Ps. 19:7, "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. " This tradition was confirmed by the First Vatican Council:

The Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church believes and acknowledges that there is one true and living God, Creator and Lord of Heaven and earth, almighty, eternal, immeasurable, incomprehensible, infinite in will, understanding and every perfection. The First Vatican Council was summoned by Pope Pius IX by the bull Pastor Aeternus of June 29, 1868. Since He is one, singular, completely simple and unchangeable spiritual substance, He must be declared to be in reality and in essence, distinct from the world, supremely happy in Himself and from Himself, and inexpressibly loftier than anything besides Himself which either exists or can be imagined. [5]

The philosophical justification stems from God's asceity: the non-contingent, independence and self-sustained mode of existence that theologians ascribe to God. For if He was not morally perfect, that is, if God was merely a great being but nevertheless of finite benevolence, then his existence would involve an element of contingency, because one could always conceive of a being of greater benevolence. [6]

Omnibenevolence also plays a prominent role in Islam: the second of the 99 Names of God is Al Rahman, meaning "all beneficent" or "most compassionate". For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The 99 Names of Allah, also known as The 99 Most Beautiful Names of God () are the Names of God (specifically attributes by which Muslims regard God

Notes

  1. ^ Smith, George H. (1980). Atheism: The Case Against God. Prometheus Books. ISBN 087975124X.  
  2. ^ Kvanvig, Jonathan L. (1993). The Problem of Hell. Oxford University Press, page 4. ISBN 019508487X.  
  3. ^ Hoffman, Joshua; Gary Rosenkrantz (2002). The Divine Attributes. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0631211543.   Used throughout the book.
  4. ^ This phrase is used in many notable encyclopedia and dictionary entries, such as:
    • Tooley, Michael "The Problem of Evil". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.  
    • Blackburn, Simon "Evil, the Problem of". The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy.  
  5. ^ First Vatican Council. dailycatholic. org. Retrieved on 2008-05-02. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter.
  6. ^ The infinity of God. Catholic Encyclopaedia. newadvent. org. Retrieved on 2008-05-02. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter.

See also

Further reading

External links

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