God's Existence

Transcript

[Top Margin: 1 a] God's existence (its denial) Tillich never worries of pointing out that the affirmation that God exist is blasphemous. How can God exist, ask Tillich, when he is the creative ground of essence of existence [and] the ground of [Page 2] 2a Existence connot participate in existence anymore than the grounds of being can be found within the totality of [crossed out: his] beings. Tillich points out that the Scholastic were right when they affirmed that [Page 3] 3a there is no difference between essence and existence of God. But this insight was perverted when they preceded to talk of the existence of God and even attempted to approve it. This error, Tillich thinks, is one [Page 4] 4a which is a definite hindrance to Christian apologistics. Says Tillich, it would be great artistry for Christian apolygetics if it words "God" and "existence" were very definitely separated except in the paradox of God becoming manifest under the condition of existence, that is, [Page 5] 5a in the Christological paradox. God does not exist. He is being-itself beyond essence of existence. Therefore, to argue that God exist is to deny him." (St, 205)