A Non-traditional Understanding of God -Issues and Problems

Speaker:  Varun Sharma, MPhill, Center of Philosophy, SSS
Venue:  Committee Room, SLS, JNU
Date and Time: 7 April, 2012, 3:00 pm 



Abstract:



God has been traditionally conceived as an omniscient, omnipotent and omnificent being. Belief in a divine Creator, Protector and Lawgiver has been prevalent across cultures and continents since times immemorial. Traditional approaches to religion tend to trivialize the issue of the origin of 'God' as a concept, and instead proceed to expound and argue about the concept i.e. God itself. The problem of God however cannot be dealt with by ignoring its roots. This necessitates an acquaintance with alternative approaches to God and religion which focus on wherefrom these concepts have arisen rather than to where they lead.

The paper presents the views of some thinkers who tried to look at 'GOD' not as something that is 'given', but something that has duly evolved. God for them is not something that has always been there and will be and therefore beyond human comprehension. On the contrary, they view God as a very human phenomenon and therefore something that has an explanation.

Download Presentation from here