Systematic Theology (Vol 1) - Hodge - XIII - Chapter 1 (Origin of the idea of God)

Required reading
Systematic Theology Volume 1 by Charles Hodge (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 1 (Origin of the idea of God).

My summary
Today opens up his new section on theology proper by giving us an overview of the origin of the idea of God.

Hodge sums up the entire chapter at the beginning for us: 'All men have some knowledge of God. That is, they have the conviction that there is a Being on whom they are dependent, and to whom they are responsible. What is the source of this conviction ? In other words, what is the origin of the idea of God? To this question three answers have been given. First, that it is innate. Second, that is a deduction of reason ; a conclusion arrived at by a process of generalization. Third, that it is to be referred to a supernatural revelation, preserved by tradition. '

What grabbed me
I liked how Hodge pointed out that all humans recognise the existence of God by their moral behaviour: 'This is still more apparent from what the Bible teaches of the law as written on the heart. The Apostle tells us that those who have a written revelation, shall be judged by that revelation ; that those who have no externally revealed law, shall be judged by the law written on the heart. That the heathen have such a law, he proves first, from the fact that " they do by nature the things contained in the law," i. e., they do under the control of their nature the things which the law prescribes ; and secondly, from the operations of conscience. When it condemns, it pronounces something done, to be contrary to the moral law ; and when it approves, it pronounces something to be conformed to that law. (Rom. ii. 12- 16.) The recognition of God, therefore, that is, of a being to whom we are responsible, is involved in the very idea of accountability. Hence every man carries in the very constitution of his being as a moral agent, the evidence of the existence of God. And as this sense of sin and responsibility is absolutely universal, so must also, according to the Bible, be the knowledge of God. '

If people affirm the existence of morality, they are affirming the existence of God (even if they don't want to).

Next week's reading
Commence Chapter 2 (Theism) up to the heading '3. The teleological argument'.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.