What established Christian theology speaks to the question of whether or not God is contingent on his followers?
Upvote:3
No. Christianity would not exist without humans
Any religio (from whence the word religion derives) cannot exist without humans. Definitionally speaking, a religio is literally "the way" meaning the way in which a human acts on a regular basis. Under that definition, all people - even atheists - have religions. It is simply their way of being in the world. Some religions require regular ritual practices like praying, studying, or visiting the temple/high place of worship/shopping mall, others ways of believing, and still more ways of interacting with their fellow man.
Christianity, is a religio which focuses on comporting oneself in Christ. It involves living through him and following him. Indeed, originally, Christians were called "the Way" and "followers of Christ." To Follow inherently requires a follower and a followee. Absent these things, there is no following, and hence no Christianity.
For many Christians, raised in an anti-Pharisee mindset, this is a good thing. We eschew ritual and focus on relationship. We seek to worship in spirit and Truth. We have no love of ritual per se, but rather the object of our affection. Absent one to enjoy that relationship, indeed, Christianity ceases to exist.
Yes, God would still continue to exist without his creation
That said, Christians believe that God is a non-contingent being. IN other words, God's existence cannot depend on his creation. It is ultimately a strange irreducable distinction - leading many theologians to even consider it a false dichotomy, but the point is simple enough - an omnipotent God does not derive his existence from his worshippers - rather he created them. Any other action disregards both his omnipotence, and simple causation.
Biblically speaking, Christians believe that "In the beginning, God". That simply means that God did exist for a long time without followers. THe concept of redemption - re-calling his Creation back to him necessitates that.
As such, no, the religion may not exist absent followers, but that does not mean that God himself does not.
More post
- 📝 What place do ritual and ceremony have in the church today? (Liturgical POV)
- 📝 Assuming the Gospels are eye-witness accounts, how were certain events recorded where Jesus was alone?
- 📝 How is the "baptism in the Holy Spirit" (promoted through CHARIS) connected with the Sacrament of Baptism?
- 📝 What does "gates of hell" mean in Matthew 16:18?
- 📝 Are spiritual pleasures > carnal pleasures, according to Catholicism?
- 📝 What is "faith?"
- 📝 How did Jesus reconcile his teachings with Judaism?
- 📝 What was the early Church Fathers' understanding of the "baptism with Holy Spirit and fire"?
- 📝 Where did the Catholic Church condemn naming guardian angels?
- 📝 Biblical era gesture signifying peace between two parties?
- 📝 How can these inconsistencies about Jesus' tomb be explained?
- 📝 Are sins forgiven without a payment in Matthew 9:1-7?
- 📝 What is the significance of these figures in a Catholic ordination procession?
- 📝 What scripture speaks of filling a bag and "compressing" it?
- 📝 Was the adoption of the Marian Dogma due to miracles, visions, any signs or any other guidance?
- 📝 Did the two sides anathematize each other in the East–West Schism of 1054?
- 📝 Are there any examples of sarcasm in the bible?
- 📝 "Holy man / saints" in the point of view of God according to the Calvinist?
- 📝 Pride of the humble
- 📝 Did Adam and Eve understand death? What did death mean to them?
- 📝 Are there any denominations that defend their doctrines by appealing to extra-biblical evidence from the 1st/2nd century of the early Church?
- 📝 When did the Pharisees stop being afraid to arrest Jesus?
- 📝 What information do we have on the real vision of Pope Leo XIII?
- 📝 Does the Church of England omit 'Gloria in Excelsis' in Advent?
- 📝 Do LDS believe other churches to be the church of Satan?
- 📝 Did God create darkness?
- 📝 In John 8, were the scribes and pharisees guilty of the sin of Fornication / Adultery?
- 📝 How do we understand that the law was given by angels
- 📝 How many Gods are in Christianity?
- 📝 Who compiled the Canons of Dort?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What established Christian theology speaks to the question of whether or not God is contingent on his followers?
- 📝 What major views are there on the question of whether God shares moral responsibility for our deeds, good and bad?
- 📝 What evidence do we have today about Christian groups not represented at the first four ecumenical councils?
- 📝 God created male and female.... What about those who do not fit in the box?
- 📝 What is the basis for believing that the wrath of God is not an accommodation?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis that people who are attracted to the same sex were not created by God that way?
- 📝 What are the predominant Christian views on whether Jesus had to specifically die by crucifixion? Could he have chosen another kind of death?
- 📝 What made Jesus question at Mt 21:25 a good example for Christians or was it a bad question because the Jews could not answer?
- 📝 On what basis was Jesus’ death sufficient for redemption according Non-Trinitarians who maintain that Jesus was not eternal God as God the Father is?
- 📝 What Christian groups do not observe or celebrate the Eucharist?
- 📝 What is the basis for saying Mary is not the mother of God from a trinitarian perspective?
- 📝 What Christian groups believe sex was the original sin, and not disobedience?
- 📝 What is the origin of 'omnipotence' as an attribute of God in the ecumenical councils and other Christian authorities?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for accepting Feminist Christian Theology which says we should use female pronouns for God?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for rejecting Feminist Christian Theology which says we should use female pronouns for God?
- 📝 If you do not believe the Holy Spirit is a person, then what is it? What do Bible verses that reference the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of God mean?
- 📝 What is the origin of the belief that God will not destroy the world but use the current one?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for thinking God established the principle of birthright and inheritance
- 📝 What are Christian apologetics refutations of the objections posited by the site "Why Won't God Heal Amputees?"?
- 📝 What are the biblical reasons for why a Christian should not participate in an election process
- 📝 What is the original explanation Christian Scholars gave for Jewish prophecies not being fulfilled?
- 📝 What is the term in spiritual theology to denote the aspect that increases within a believer as God carries his work to completion (Phil 1:6)?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis that God does not punish disobedient Christians beyond the immediate natural consequences?
- 📝 What are the implications of Gen 1:26 which speaks of God having already thought of the name “humankind” before He created man?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for NOT expecting miracles (from God at least) after the apostolic age?
- 📝 What are ways in which God reveals Himself to a Christian in the context of a two-way, one-on-one relationship?
- 📝 What is an overview of Christian viewpoints on why God sanctioned eating meat after the fall if veganism was already the pre-fall standard?
- 📝 What are counterexamples to the position that Christian morality is ultimately utilitarian (i.e., that God is utilitarian)?
- 📝 What is the single best reason - specific to Christianity - that the Christian God is the real God?
- 📝 What is the Christian perspective on survival needs not met?