Judeo-Christian influences:

• God as a creator:

- The concept of God as creator:

1. "Six days" version- God creating by word, "Light and dark, waters above and below, sky heaven separated from earth"- CREATIO EX NIHILO

2. Story of Adam & Eve - God moulding/ crafting things into existence

-Bible: 

1. God causes universe to exists 

2. God is responsible for universe coming to existence and sustaining it

3.God responsible for everything in the universe

-Gen 1: Concerned with creation of universe, God able to create via word alone- Omnipotence, shows that God pre- exists creation of world-Gen 2: Differ from Gen 1- God pictured super-human way, ANTHROPOMORPHICALLY- walking, Creation of Adam& Eve ( The fall), Adam created/ crafted, " Of dust from the earth and is breathed into the breath of life" Purpose of mankind," The Lord God took man and put him in Garden of Eden"

- God as craftsman:

- Gen 1- Making Adam- "From dust is likened to a potter shaping the clay"- Human like imge of God- ANTHROMPOMORPHIC, Relationship between man and God= Reward or punish, Skilled builder- JOB 38- Seen as a designer, laid foundations of earth

• The Goodness of God:

- "God is good":

- 10 Commandments- Matter of moral action

- Commands of God seen as good= Story of Abraham- God tells to sacrifice son, immoral?

-Actions in bible reflects= Story of Hannah- Prays to god for a child- Shows God's goodness, accepts prayers- Benefits people

-Care shown through activity in the world

- Problems raised- God's goodness- Can there be good despite all evil in the world?

- God as a law-giver and a judge:

- God= Morally perfect, Source of all goodness

-Exodus 20- 10 commandments

-Giving laws- Shows compassion to humanity 

-God= Perfectly good- Lacks nothing, ultimate standard of goodness

- Eutyphro Dilemma:

1) God causes things to be good by giving commandd or whether God commands good because they are already good

- Richard: Goodness is what God is identified with- The idea of God existing without goodness is absurd

• God as creator: 

-Strengths:  Consensus, Certain interpretations of creation result in shared ground between religon and science. Involved creator, being intrested in the progress of creation and humanity- More consistent than Aristotle's prime mover

-Weaknesses: Skilled craftman? "Natural evils". Do human have free will if God is all knowing, and if God gives a set of commandments for how to live?

• Goodness of God:

-Strengths: Absolute, external source of ethics helps us solve difficulties raised by relative morality

-Weaknesses: Immoral actions, Actions of bible would challenge the notion of God as source of moraility and a good judge. Suffering, Nature of world suggest that God is good?