Clarifying our understanding of God (the inherently good God who is already answering us before we call for help!), as a world foundation issue

Isaiah 65:24, c. 700 BC, opens up a vision of the power and goodness of God; one that is pivotal for us as we strengthen our understanding of God:

Is 65: 24  Before they call I will answer;

while they are yet speaking I will hear. 

Yes, here we see direct affirmation that our loving, good God already knows and is already answering our challenges before we are sufficiently aware to cry out to him. 

In that context, we need to clarify and reinforce our understanding of God as supreme, inherently good and utterly wise being and creator, not only in response to the needed necessary being source of reality and the classic Euthyphro and problem of evil challenges, but now also open theism. Again, Scribd is a useful repository:

Our concept of God -- classical vs open theism issues by Gemof Thekairosinitiative

In this context, we also need to clarify how eternity as an extradimensional aspect of reality allows us not only to appreciate omnipresence but also how knowledge of the future does not causally force that to be the future, squeezing out rational, responsible freedom:

These are of course hard question issues, but regrettably they have now become far more widespread in an information age. Therefore, they need to be answered in a relatively brief and relatively accessible context. END

Can we have confident, reliable knowledge (how? given, hyperskepticism . . . ) and does this include knowledge of God?

 For thousands of years, our civilisation has been haunted by: what is knowledge, and how can we be certain that we know something is true? For sixty years now, Gettier cases have meant we need something like Plantinga's "warrant." For we may be subjectively justified to believe what is actually so, but effectively by accident. Likewise, we must answer the corrosive acid doubt of hyperskepticism. Accordingly, here, we explore knowledge vs hyperskepticism and point to knowledge of God.

Here, we first explore knowledge and warrant:

Epistemological Method by Gemof Thekairosinitiative

Second, let us explore logic as method, highlighting first principles and duties of responsible reason:

Logic as Method by Gemof Thekairosinitiative

In this context, critical, foundational cracks in a system of thought are often pivotal, so, thirdly:

Cracks as Method by Gemof Thekairosinitiative

These now build on the method of comparative difficulties we already explored, and open the way to onward rethinking on a sounder foundation. END

PS: IEP on fallacies, gives a useful supplement. SEP has a more focused article, highlighting 18 key fallacies, here.

The worldviews challenge and the philosophical method of comparative difficulties

 Philosophy (= "love of wisdom") is the department of study where we put hard, fundamental questions; hard, as there are no easy answers -- every suggested answer bristles with difficulties. Questions, connected to our views of ourselves, in our world, and how we came to be here, where things are headed, including us . . . is death terminus? Why, or why not, why so many disagreements, can we come to solid answers,  and more. That is, big, hard worldview questions. Comparative difficulties -- more explicitly descriptive, so preferable to "theoretical virtues" -- allows us to address such views in a balanced way: factual adequacy, coherence, explanatory balance -- simple but not simplistic, rather than ad hoc. This short primer serves as an outline of that approach:

Philosophy -- the method of... by Gemof Thekairosinitiative

This will help us to sort out the many thorny challenges we face. END

PS: IEP on fallacies, gives a useful supplement. SEP has a more focused article, highlighting 18 key fallacies, here.

Marking up Isaiah 40 -- a Hebraic Metaphysics and Theology of God

An exploration of the vision of God (so, implied worldview) in Isaiah Ch 40, drawing out that the hebraic approach to philosophising . . . love and pursuit of wisdom . . . does identify a view of God comparable to ethical theism. God, as inherently good, utterly wise, creator, eternal/necessary and supreme/maximally great & worthy of due fealty and service.

Isa 40 Metaphysics by Gemof Thekairosinitiative

Yes, there is a philosophical vision of God and his key attributes in Isaiah 40. END

Kingdom Come, will help us rebalance our vision of the Kingdom of God, Messiah, gospel, discipleship, mission and 4R godly reformation in C21

 Kingdom Come (a balancing review of eschatology in light of Kingdom principles), pivots on an often overlooked fact: "the gospel" is the good-news proclamation of the Kingdom of God and of his [risen!] Christ. This has been so from the beginning of Jesus' own ministry:

Mark 1: 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Where, the Christ is thus inherently a last days/ eschatological/ prophesied (and now fulfilled) figure, implying that this pervades all of Christian life (starting from "repent and believe the gospel"), yes, conversion, discipleship, mission, thought, theology: so, eschatological errors therefore can (and often do) pervade and warp all of our theology and life.  So, too, we need to duly understand the phrase in our Lord's prayer "thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," and extend this to our vision of the gospel, the church, mission and discipleship in our world. 

That means, gospel ethics -- doing the will of the ultimately loving, inherently good, utterly wise God (which is good for us!)  -- is inherently part of the gospel: repent, the Kingdom is at hand! 

Yes, indeed, we are called to the 4R's process: repentance > renewal > revival > reformation.

Kingdom_Come Release Sep 24... by Gemof Thekairosinitiative

Let us read, reflect, renew, work towards godly transformation and blessing. END