Do the Results of Divine Action Have Preceding Causes?

Authors

  • Daniel von Wachter International Academy of Philosophy, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.v3i2.400

Abstract

If God brings about an event in the universe, does it have a preceding cause? For example, if the universe began with the Big Bang and if God brought it about, did the Big Bang then have a preceding cause? The standard answer is: yes, it was caused by a divine willing. I propose an alternative view: God’s actions, unlike human actions, are not initiated by willings, undertakings, or volitions, but God brings about the intended event directly. Presenting a solution to the dilemma of free will I explain what ‘bringing about directly’ means and show that the question of what an action begins with is distinct from the question whether it is a basic action.

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Published

2011-09-23

How to Cite

von Wachter, Daniel. 2011. “Do the Results of Divine Action Have Preceding Causes?”. European Journal for Philosophy of Religion 3 (2):347-67. https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.v3i2.400.

Issue

Section

Research Articles