BCE philosophers - theology and religion

Thomas Aquinas was influenced by Aristotle in his writings. The philosopher discusses the ideas of actuality and potentiality. Actually, he meant to be at work when he says that. Therefore, being at work, being a member of a specific species, or acting in a certain way are all aspects of what it is to be. Aristotle also says that movement is rest. A thorough examination of the two philosophers reveals their similar worldview. Evidently, Aristotle's ideas about time, place, and motion can be found in Aquinas' writings. Many academics contend that Kant is really just a continuation of the earlier thinker Aristotle. The philosopher's ideas elucidated in the Metaphysics are what Kant uses as a fulcrum to construct his thoughts. For example, Aristotle argues that God exists, a perspective that Aquinas further develops in his works. Apparently, the question of existence of God excites the theologians who felt that it was a dispute of the existence of the Supreme Being. In other words, Aquinas felt that the ancient philosophers were actually downplaying the possibility of God's existence. Hence, he took upon himself to develop theology that defends God. Additionally, Aquinas disputes Aristotle's arguments regarding motion. He says that Aristotle contradicted himself because a thing cannot be what it already is and what it is yet to become. Aquinas said potentiality and actuality are interlinked. In his view, there can never be a series of interrelated moves.

Choose one modern philosopher and one of the philosophers or theologians noted above to answer the question. How has the philosopher or theologian influenced the work of the modern philosopher of your choice?
Ludwig Feuerbach disagrees with Emmanuel Kant on the issue of religion. According to Feuerbach, there is no religious knowledge. He dismisses the arguments that God is transcendent and argues that Jesus was just a human being who survives through inspiration from people. The writings of the philosopher regarding religion are provocative to many theologians who felt that the anti-God philosophers sought to destroy the aspect of faith in the society in order to install their own ideas. According to Feuerbach, religion emerged as a result of people seeking a force to guide their livelihoods. That is, people came up with matters of existence of God as a matter of necessity to cover the emptiness they had within themselves. Accordingly, God, according to Feuerbach is a mere projection by human beings that expresses their desire to liberate themselves from sin.
Further, Feuerbach perceives God as a reflection of the extent of people's creativity and thus reflects their lack of full potential. That is, the idea that a supreme being exists demonstrates how people can create a thing and make it look so real. It covers the people's inadequacy and creates a sense of completeness. Additionally, the philosopher asserts that the imagined God demonstrates the vulnerability of people and a sense of loneliness. Apparently, Feuerbach disagrees with Kant on the matters of faith but he is not the only philosopher with a different opinion. However, his ideas are more radical than those of other thinkers as he openly dismisses the existence of God and regards it as an imagination that has refused to leave the human mind.
How does Jurgen Moltmann make use of the philosophers and theologians we have studied to make case for his understanding of the future, the cross and the trinity?
Jürgen Moltmann discusses about a future with no God in which he seems to dispute the ideas of Kant and Aquinas. He argues that the Christians have missed the point by focusing on having a God without any future prompting another reaction. The reaction, he claims is that the earth will shift from the narrative of God and establish a future without the Supreme Being. According to him, the break away from the belief in God is liberation in itself that human beings should strive towards it. The future with God, the thinker asserts, is an enslaving one. Thus the all-inclusive future signals hope for being able to mediate between faith and earthly things.
On the aspect of trinity, Jürgen follows the Aquinas' perspective and elaborates on its relation with the cross. Accordingly, he says that it is not a mere speculation on the narrative of Christ but an accurate freedom of faith. He adds that the cross itself and the crucifixion of Jesus forms the trinity of God, Jesus and Holy Spirit. Thus, he defines salvation as the damnation of Jesus that leads to a divine life for believers. He explains that God does not stand in isolation but one must speak of him by showing his connection with Jesus. Further, he argues that there is nothing like a personal God because by saying so, it reduces God to an event.
In a way that shows that Jürgen believes in God like Kant and Aquinas, the philosopher takes into account the narratives in the bible and argues that the new testament of the bible is clear on the difference between the father and the son. Hence, he says believers should stick to the scripture so that they do not behave like atheists. Moreover, the philosopher identifies the crucifixion of Jesus as a clear manifestation of God's love. It follows that the pray should come from within based on Jesus' altruism. In other words, the philosopher leans on the concepts of theologians and echoes their sentiments from a religious and philosophical perspective.













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Boland, Vivian. Ideas in God According to Saint Thomas Aquinas: Sources and Synthesis. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1996.
Feuerbach, Ludwig. Principles of the Philosophy of the Future. Indianapolis, Ind: Hackett Pub. Co, 1986.
Moltmann, Jürgen. The Future of Creation: Collected Essays. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 2007.
Stangroom, Jeremy, and James Garvey. The Great Philosophers: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Saint Thomas Aquinas. 2015.