God and Nature Summer 2023
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By Colin Hull
In my investigations of the theology and science dialogue, I have often encountered the major influence of Thomas Aquinas, especially in discussions from the point of view of Catholic theology. After joining the Anglican Society of St Francis, I became aware of the lesser-known John Duns Scotus (c. 1265 - 1308), another great scholar of what is known as the High Scholastic period of philosophy. Nicknamed “the Subtle Doctor” for the sophistication of his arguments, Scotus, among other things, proposed a “proof of God” as Infinite Being.
There are now many more Scotus resources available for study, including commentaries and translations of his works into English. In addition to trying to wade through translated texts from Ordinatio (1) and his De Primo Principio (Treatise on God as First Principle) (2), I have relied on other Scotus experts and online sources to get at his major themes and stances.
In my investigations of the theology and science dialogue, I have often encountered the major influence of Thomas Aquinas, especially in discussions from the point of view of Catholic theology. After joining the Anglican Society of St Francis, I became aware of the lesser-known John Duns Scotus (c. 1265 - 1308), another great scholar of what is known as the High Scholastic period of philosophy. Nicknamed “the Subtle Doctor” for the sophistication of his arguments, Scotus, among other things, proposed a “proof of God” as Infinite Being.
There are now many more Scotus resources available for study, including commentaries and translations of his works into English. In addition to trying to wade through translated texts from Ordinatio (1) and his De Primo Principio (Treatise on God as First Principle) (2), I have relied on other Scotus experts and online sources to get at his major themes and stances.
We need to appreciate each creature’s graced uniqueness flowing from the original will of God. |
Franciscan Heart and Apologist
Scotus’ arguments seem to be extensive and technical in nature; however, Seamus Mulholland (3) reminds us that he was also a deeply spiritual man, nurtured foremost in the tradition flowing from Francis of Assisi. Scotus is in many ways an apologist for Christian faith. He does not often quote scripture; rather, he is interested in finding reasons for the faith contained in the scriptures, seeking to probe and demonstrate the truths that are derived from it. There is much that could be considered about Scotus in the context of apologetics, science, and the modern world. For the remainder of this essay, I want to confine myself to exploring three things:
The Existence of God: First, Final, and Infinite
Can one prove the existence of God by rational argument? The question, and the challenge to do so, was a feature of thirteenth-century scholastic education. In Ordinatio Vol 1, Distinction 2 ; and in De Primo, Scotus argues that there is an Infinite Being. In an elaborate set of arguments, he sets out in steps to show that there is a First and Final Cause to the world, that God is the most Pre-eminent Being, and that this Being is also infinite.
First Cause
The first part of his argument is that there is a First Cause of the cosmos (and hence a first cause in the processes of evolution). The argument is that God is the initiator of cosmic life events. We know from science today that the cosmos did have a beginning about 13.7 billion years ago.
Personally, and spiritually, I relate this First Cause principle and argument also to the recognition of our origin with all life and the equality of all life derived from that original cause. This is part of Franciscan tradition and an important one. In a world and culture where competition is such a valued thing, the emphasis on equality and diversity of creatures and people is much needed. We need to appreciate each creature’s graced uniqueness flowing from the original will of God.
Final Cause
The second step in his argument is that that there is a Final Cause. It is an argument that God is such that He wills and moves things to an end. In De Primo, the Final Cause is specifically linked with the “Beloved” (Christ) in that things are moved and destined for the Beloved. The Beloved is the reason for creation and the reason for God’s other acts. It fits with the opening of the gospel of John that things were “made” through and for the Logos (Word).
Infinite Being
Scotus then argues for God’s Pre-eminence of knowledge. Since the possibilities of reality that must be known to God are limitless, God must be Infinite. Whatever we make of Scotus’ argument, perhaps today we can see that description of God as Infinite Being in relation to the immensity of the cosmos in time and space, with its beginning billions of years ago, and with the huge multitude of galaxies and clusters of stars and potential unnumbered worlds that may possibly be full of life, most likely each uniquely different.
The Infinity of God is also related to Eternity, something before the “beginning” and going on to something we cannot even imagine in some far-off future both for this planet and all its life, and the whole future of what is possible for all worlds. Spiritually, we must see ourselves in relation to this immensity and infinity, and such a theme of God’s infinity and the vastness of a loved cosmos should lead us to humility.
The Primacy of Christ
As I have mentioned above, Scotus relates God as Final Cause to the “Beloved”. Often spoken of as the Primacy of Christ, this really means the Primacy of the Incarnation. The prevailing view at the time of Scotus was that the Word became incarnate in the man Jesus in order to accomplish salvation. Scotus’ alternative argument is set out in Ordinatio 3, Distinction 7. He asks “Whether Christ was Pre-destined to be Son of God”. In his lengthy answer, he makes the following main points.
More simply, Christ’s predestination was the best of all good that could occur in the created world and therefore did not depend upon the “fall” of humanity. Although Scotus was famous in making this theological claim about the Primacy of the Incarnation over redemption, he was not the only Franciscan to do so. This is therefore a special Franciscan emphasis. In evolutionary terms, we can therefore say that the whole evolution of humanity culminates in this unity of the divine and created being. Christ is and was destined to be the apex of God’s creative work. It is a foreordained purpose that includes God’s will for all of us to be united within the divine life, with Christ as the first and most perfect example of that union. A Primacy for the Incarnation of the Word in Jesus, predestined before all else on earth, may point to an even greater view of the love of God that connects with other parts of the cosmos in acts of union.
For me, the Primacy of the Incarnation has another important application. From the point of view of evolution, suffering and death has always been present as a consequence of the very fabric of the cosmos that develops freely in stages. While many have interpreted the story in Genesis to mean that it was the fall of humanity that brought death into a previously perfect creation, we now know that death has been present on earth for as long as there has been life that is finite and limited. It has been the order of death that has progressed evolution and is responsible for change. All living things die, and people die quite apart from any consideration of sin and human deviation from the divine life. When we consider this, the Primacy of the Incarnation means that even in the absence of the Fall, the Incarnated Word would have entered into a suffering world. Maybe in a more just and sinless world, Jesus could have lived and died as a great old man, but die He would have done as a finite human person in a free universe. In Him God the Word would still have shared in the death of all things, followed by Resurrection that pointed to a greater future end.
God as Trinity
Christian faith is faith in God revealed as Father, Word (Son), and Holy Spirit, one in essence but differentiated as three. Scotus, like others of his era, defended this faith and examined in detail questions of the relations between the three. He held that God causes things in the world through the joint action of the three Persons, followed by causation through the secondary causes in the world. Hence there is a humility in God and in the way that God always acts, as demonstrated in the life of Christ.
Final Word
More information on Scotus’ theology related to science can be found on my study site www.cosmicscotus.com.
References
Colin Hull is a Chemical Analyst with an interest in birds, ecology, and conservation. He is also an Anglican (Church of England) Reader (Lay minister and preacher), and a Member of the Anglican Third Order of the Society of St Francis, European Province.
Scotus’ arguments seem to be extensive and technical in nature; however, Seamus Mulholland (3) reminds us that he was also a deeply spiritual man, nurtured foremost in the tradition flowing from Francis of Assisi. Scotus is in many ways an apologist for Christian faith. He does not often quote scripture; rather, he is interested in finding reasons for the faith contained in the scriptures, seeking to probe and demonstrate the truths that are derived from it. There is much that could be considered about Scotus in the context of apologetics, science, and the modern world. For the remainder of this essay, I want to confine myself to exploring three things:
- The Existence of God: First, Final, and Infinite
- The Primacy of Christ
- God as Trinity
The Existence of God: First, Final, and Infinite
Can one prove the existence of God by rational argument? The question, and the challenge to do so, was a feature of thirteenth-century scholastic education. In Ordinatio Vol 1, Distinction 2 ; and in De Primo, Scotus argues that there is an Infinite Being. In an elaborate set of arguments, he sets out in steps to show that there is a First and Final Cause to the world, that God is the most Pre-eminent Being, and that this Being is also infinite.
First Cause
The first part of his argument is that there is a First Cause of the cosmos (and hence a first cause in the processes of evolution). The argument is that God is the initiator of cosmic life events. We know from science today that the cosmos did have a beginning about 13.7 billion years ago.
Personally, and spiritually, I relate this First Cause principle and argument also to the recognition of our origin with all life and the equality of all life derived from that original cause. This is part of Franciscan tradition and an important one. In a world and culture where competition is such a valued thing, the emphasis on equality and diversity of creatures and people is much needed. We need to appreciate each creature’s graced uniqueness flowing from the original will of God.
Final Cause
The second step in his argument is that that there is a Final Cause. It is an argument that God is such that He wills and moves things to an end. In De Primo, the Final Cause is specifically linked with the “Beloved” (Christ) in that things are moved and destined for the Beloved. The Beloved is the reason for creation and the reason for God’s other acts. It fits with the opening of the gospel of John that things were “made” through and for the Logos (Word).
Infinite Being
Scotus then argues for God’s Pre-eminence of knowledge. Since the possibilities of reality that must be known to God are limitless, God must be Infinite. Whatever we make of Scotus’ argument, perhaps today we can see that description of God as Infinite Being in relation to the immensity of the cosmos in time and space, with its beginning billions of years ago, and with the huge multitude of galaxies and clusters of stars and potential unnumbered worlds that may possibly be full of life, most likely each uniquely different.
The Infinity of God is also related to Eternity, something before the “beginning” and going on to something we cannot even imagine in some far-off future both for this planet and all its life, and the whole future of what is possible for all worlds. Spiritually, we must see ourselves in relation to this immensity and infinity, and such a theme of God’s infinity and the vastness of a loved cosmos should lead us to humility.
The Primacy of Christ
As I have mentioned above, Scotus relates God as Final Cause to the “Beloved”. Often spoken of as the Primacy of Christ, this really means the Primacy of the Incarnation. The prevailing view at the time of Scotus was that the Word became incarnate in the man Jesus in order to accomplish salvation. Scotus’ alternative argument is set out in Ordinatio 3, Distinction 7. He asks “Whether Christ was Pre-destined to be Son of God”. In his lengthy answer, he makes the following main points.
- Predestination is the pre-ordering of someone to glory and things related to this glory.
- Christ is special and first in His predestination to glory.
- God predestined Christ to glory before all others.
- This would have happened even if the “fall” of Adam and Eve into disobedience and sin had not occurred.
More simply, Christ’s predestination was the best of all good that could occur in the created world and therefore did not depend upon the “fall” of humanity. Although Scotus was famous in making this theological claim about the Primacy of the Incarnation over redemption, he was not the only Franciscan to do so. This is therefore a special Franciscan emphasis. In evolutionary terms, we can therefore say that the whole evolution of humanity culminates in this unity of the divine and created being. Christ is and was destined to be the apex of God’s creative work. It is a foreordained purpose that includes God’s will for all of us to be united within the divine life, with Christ as the first and most perfect example of that union. A Primacy for the Incarnation of the Word in Jesus, predestined before all else on earth, may point to an even greater view of the love of God that connects with other parts of the cosmos in acts of union.
For me, the Primacy of the Incarnation has another important application. From the point of view of evolution, suffering and death has always been present as a consequence of the very fabric of the cosmos that develops freely in stages. While many have interpreted the story in Genesis to mean that it was the fall of humanity that brought death into a previously perfect creation, we now know that death has been present on earth for as long as there has been life that is finite and limited. It has been the order of death that has progressed evolution and is responsible for change. All living things die, and people die quite apart from any consideration of sin and human deviation from the divine life. When we consider this, the Primacy of the Incarnation means that even in the absence of the Fall, the Incarnated Word would have entered into a suffering world. Maybe in a more just and sinless world, Jesus could have lived and died as a great old man, but die He would have done as a finite human person in a free universe. In Him God the Word would still have shared in the death of all things, followed by Resurrection that pointed to a greater future end.
God as Trinity
Christian faith is faith in God revealed as Father, Word (Son), and Holy Spirit, one in essence but differentiated as three. Scotus, like others of his era, defended this faith and examined in detail questions of the relations between the three. He held that God causes things in the world through the joint action of the three Persons, followed by causation through the secondary causes in the world. Hence there is a humility in God and in the way that God always acts, as demonstrated in the life of Christ.
Final Word
More information on Scotus’ theology related to science can be found on my study site www.cosmicscotus.com.
References
- Scotus, Ordinatio – ed Simpson, Online texts at https://aristotelophile.com/current.htm
- Scotus, Treatise on God as First Principle – Online at https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/treatise-on-god-as-first-principle-10044
- Séamus Mulholland, A Gasp of Love (2011)
Colin Hull is a Chemical Analyst with an interest in birds, ecology, and conservation. He is also an Anglican (Church of England) Reader (Lay minister and preacher), and a Member of the Anglican Third Order of the Society of St Francis, European Province.