Required reading
Systematic Theology Volume 1 by Charles Hodge (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Chapter 3 (Anti-theistic theories) by reading up to the heading 'C. Grecian Pantheism'.
My summary
Today Hodge teaches us about pantheism.
Firstly Hodge defines pantheism as 'The universe is God, and God is the universe'.
Secondly Hodge gives us some general principles of the system:
(i) what pantheists deny;
(ii) what pantheists affirm.
Thirdly Hodge begins discussing the history of pantheism by giving us an overview of the pantheism of Hinduism.
What grabbed me
I appreciated Hodge's point about pantheism's deification of humans: 'Pantheism is self deification. If God comes to existence only in the world, and if everything that is, is a manifestation of God, it follows that (so far as pantheists allow or acknowledge) the soul of man is the highest form of the existence of God. As the souls of men differ very much one from another, one being much superior to others, the greater the man the more divine he is, i. g., the more does he represent God ; the more of the divine essence does he reveal.'
Pantheism is yet another lie from Satan that we can be like God.
Next week's reading
Conclude Chapter 3 (Anti-theistic theories).
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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