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Human freedom and the freedom of natural processes : on omnicausality, a-causality and God's omnipotence

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dc.contributor.author Du Toit, C. W.
dc.date.accessioned 2013-10-28T11:42:26Z
dc.date.available 2013-10-28T11:42:26Z
dc.date.issued 2013-11
dc.identifier.citation South African Science and Religion Forum Conference papers - Chance, causality, emergence: Interdisciplinary perspectives, pp 227-248 en
dc.identifier.isbn 978-1-86888-747-7
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10500/11954
dc.description Peer reviewed en
dc.description.abstract The article traces the development of causality in physical science and examines its functioning in theology, as well as its demand for a different approach to power, especially the omnipotence and omnicausality of God. The three main phases in the development of causality is briefly mentioned with special reference to some applicable notions of Hume, Newton and Kant. Some examples are given of developments that contributed to the erosion of the causality concept in the sciences during the nineteenth century. The possibility of thinking of God in a-causal terms is proposed. The idea of an omni-causal God is build upon a pre-modern monarchical view. The question whether the importance of God as an omni-causal agent forms part of our regulative thinking, is dealt with. Special attention is given to the way Karl Barth interprets our knowledge of God as well as God’s power. We take the stance that the idea of God’s omnipotence does not imply his omnicausality. This implies that he respect the freedom (autopoeticism) of nature as he respect the freedom of humans. This stance obviates the need to prove God as the magical force in or behind natural and physical events. The action of God is seen on the consequential side of events and not on its causal side. en
dc.format.extent 1 online resource (12 unnumbered pages) en
dc.language.iso en en
dc.publisher Research Institute for Theology and Religion en
dc.subject God’s omnipotence en
dc.subject Causality in physical science en
dc.subject Omnicausality en
dc.subject A-causality en
dc.subject.ddc 231.4
dc.subject.lcsh God -- Omnipotence en
dc.subject.lcsh Causality (Physics) en
dc.subject.lcsh Religion and science en
dc.title Human freedom and the freedom of natural processes : on omnicausality, a-causality and God's omnipotence en
dc.type Book chapter en
dc.description.department Research Institute for Theology and Religion en


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