Lesson video

Hi, my name's Miss Minton, and welcome to this lesson on transcendence and imminence.

Now, by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain Christian beliefs about God as transcendent and imminent.

And how these beliefs help respond to the problem of evil.

Now, we'll be drawing upon knowledge of the God of classical theism and the problem of evil within this lesson, but there'll also be lots of new learning.

Please don't worry though because I'm here to guide you through each step of the lesson, and I'm confident that by the end you can achieve this outcome.

So let's get started and take a look at our keywords for today.

We have eternal, imminent and transcendent.

Now, to be eternal means being without beginning or end and existing forever.

The word imminent refers to something being present within or close to something else.

And in Christianity, this refers to the belief that God is close to creation and active in people's lives.

The word transcendent means to be above or beyond the range of normal or physical human experience.

And in Christianity, this refers to the belief that God exists outside of the universe.

Now, our lesson today will have two parts.

We'll start by looking at God as transcendent, and then we'll move on to look at God as imminent.

So let's get started and take a look at God as transcendent.

Now, to start off, I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself.

What do Christians believe God is like? So what qualities and characteristics would Christians say that God has? Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have identified that most Christians would say that God is omnibenevolent, which means all loving, that God is omnipotent, which means all powerful, and that God is omniscient, which means all knowing.

Now, most Christians also agree that God is transcendent, which means that God exists beyond the universe, outside of the universe.

Now, Father Jason is a Roman Catholic priest and he explains what it means to say that God is transcendent.

Father Jason says, "Think of a famous painter creating a beautiful painting.

The painter exists outside of the canvas; they're not part of the painting or within the painting, but their vision and intention is visible within it.

Just as the painter is separate from the painting but created it, God is separate from the universe that he created.

The painting depends on the painter, but the painter still exists outside of it.

In the same way God is beyond the world.

God is transcendent, but still able to influence it." So let's check your understanding.

Is this statement true or false? God as transcendent means that God has no influence or involvement with the universe.

Fantastic, that statement is false, but why is that statement false? Well, it's because most Christians agree that God as transcendent means that God is beyond the universe, but is still responsible for creation and has influence over the universe.

So well done for identifying that the statement is false and for identifying the reason why.

Now, Christian beliefs about God as transcendent come from the Bible and interpretations of biblical teachings, God's transcendence can be seen in the account of creation in Genesis 1.

Genesis 1:1 says this, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Now, I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself.

How might this passage be interpreted to show that God is transcendent? Off you go.

So many Christians interpret this passage as showing that God existed before the universe and was able to bring the universe into existence.

Therefore, God must exist outside of the universe.

This also shows that God is eternal, so God has no beginning and no end and will exist forever.

And God being eternal is part of God's transcendence.

Now, another teaching that many Christians interpret as showing that God is transcendent is found in the Gospel of Matthew when Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray.

Matthew 6:9 says this, "This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

'" Now I'd like you to pause the video again and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

How might this passage be interpreted to show that God is transcendent? So how can it be used to show that God is beyond the universe? Off you go.

So in this passage, Jesus addresses the prayer to God, the Father in heaven.

And many Christians interpret this as suggesting that God exists beyond and outside of the universe in heaven.

Now, for many Christians, the belief that God is transcendent also means that God is beyond human understanding as well as being beyond the universe.

And this is also something that is taught within the Bible.

For example, in Job 36:26, it says this, "How great is God - beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out." Now, many Christians interpret this passage as suggesting that God cannot be fully understood by humans.

God is both beyond the universe and also beyond human understanding, so humans can't fully understand God.

Now, this passage also alludes to God as eternal, being linked with God's transcendence.

Particularly in the part where it says "The number of God's years is past finding out," suggesting that God exists forever.

So now we've looked at a few examples of how God's transcendence can be seen in biblical teachings.

Let's imagine that I've been asked to give just one biblical teaching that suggests God is transcendent.

I've said Matthew 6:9 which says "Our Father in heaven." Now I'm going to now ask you to give another biblical teaching that suggests God is transcendent.

So pause the video and have a go.

Okay, so you may have said Genesis 1:1, which says, "God created the heavens on the earth." Or Job 36:26, which says that God is "beyond our understanding." So well done if you've got one of those answers.

Now, for most Christians, the belief that God is transcendent provides a possible solution to the problem of evil and suffering.

So let's take a look at how this is possible.

So God as transcendent means that God is beyond the world and beyond human understanding.

And this means that God can see the bigger picture far beyond what humans can see.

God as transcendent also means that God's ways and reasons are higher than humans, and this means that evil and suffering could be part of a plan or purpose that humans don't understand yet.

Finally, God as transcendent means that God is not limited by the time and space of the universe like humans are.

So God sees the past, present, and future all at the same time.

And what looks evil to us right now might later lead to a good that God can already see.

So let's now check your understanding.

Is this statement true or false? God, as transcendent provides a solution to the problem of evil.

Fantastic, that statement is true, but why is that statement true? Well, it's because many Christians believe that because God is beyond the universe, there might be a plan or purpose to suffering that only God can understand and see.

So while done for identifying that the statement is true and for identifying the reason why.

It's now time for you to have a go at a task, I would like you to write four sentences about the Christian belief that God is transcendent, but each sentence has a particular rule or criteria that you need to meet.

So sentence one must include the words transcendent and eternal.

Sentence two must include the quote, "God created the heavens and the earth" from Genesis 1:1.

Sentence three must include the phrase "human understanding." And sentence four must describe how God as transcendent provides a solution to the problem of evil.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So you are asked to write four sentences about the belief that God is transcendent and your sentences might be similar to these.

Number one, most Christians believe that God is transcendent and eternal, which means that God exists outside of the universe and has no beginning or end.

Number two, Genesis 1:1 states that, "God created the heavens and the earth," and this can be interpreted to show that God is transcendent.

Number three, most Christians believe that God is transcendent means that God is beyond human understanding as well as beyond the universe.

And finally, number four, God is transcendent provides a solution to the problem of evil because the belief suggests that there might be a plan or purpose to evil that only God can understand and see.

So well done for completing your four sentences about the Christian belief that God is transcendent.

We're now moving on to the second part of our lesson, which is to look at God as imminent.

Now, like you, Aisha has been learning about God as transcendent, and this has raised a question for her.

Aisha asks, "If God is beyond the universe, does that mean that God is no longer present and active within the universe, and people's lives?" Fiona, who is an Anglican Christian, responds to Aisha's question.

She says, "Many Christians, including myself, believe that God is both transcendent and imminent.

God as imminent means that God is close to and involved with creation.

Think of the sun, for example.

It's far away from us, but we can still feel its light and warmth.

In a similar way, God is beyond us, but still with us.

Now, Christian beliefs about God as imminent also come from the Bible and biblical interpretations.

For example, in Psalm 23:4, it says this, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Now, I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself, how might this passage be interpreted to show that God is imminent so that God is close to humans and involved with their lives? Off you go.

So this passage suggests that God is with humans, and will comfort them, even during difficult times.

And this can be interpreted as showing that God is close to humanity.

So God is imminent.

So let's check your understanding.

Which keyword means that God is close to and involved with creation? A, transcendent, B, eternal, C, omnipotent, or D imminent? Fantastic, the correct answer is D.

Imminent is the keyword that means that God is close to and involved with creation, well done.

Now, for many Christians, the most significant demonstration of God's imminence is Jesus Christ.

Now, Danielle is a Roman Catholic Christian and she explains how her belief in Jesus shows that God is imminent.

Danielle says, "God becoming human in the person of Jesus Christ shows that God cares about his creation, and wants to be close with and involved with humanity.

When Jesus was on earth, I believe that this was God literally walking among and living with ordinary humans; this was God being physically close to us.

Later, through Jesus' death, God allowed humanity to become spiritually close to him because Jesus' death allowed for the forgiveness of sins." Now, what we can see from Danielle's explanation is that God becoming human in the person of Jesus shows God's imminence in two ways.

The first way being that God literally walked among and lived with humans.

And the second way being that God becoming human in the person of Jesus had a greater purpose of Jesus dying on the cross and allowing humans to become spiritually close to God because their sins have been forgiven.

Now, as well as God's imminence being shown through the person of Jesus Christ, God's imminence can also be shown through the Holy Spirit.

Asher is a Pentecostal Christian and he explains his beliefs about God's imminence being shown through the Holy Spirit.

Asher says, "I believe that God's imminence is shown through the Holy Spirit, which is the third person of the Trinity and God's active presence on earth.

I believe that the Holy Spirit is God living with us, guiding, helping, and showing us that God is close and involved in the world today." So what we can see from Asher's belief is that although Jesus Christ is no longer physically present on Earth, the Holy Spirit is God's active presence on earth today that helps and guides Christians and shows that God is close to humans.

Now, I'd like you to consider whether you can think of any other examples, in addition to Jesus and the Holy Spirit, of God's imminence within Christianity.

So how God is shown to be close to humans within Christianity.

So pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered examples such as the Bible and how God's word is revealed through the Bible.

You might have also considered God answering prayers or miracles that God performs, or perhaps you considered feeling God's presence in creation.

So let's now check your understanding.

Which of the following is not an example of God's imminence? A, Jesus Christ, B, the Holy Spirit, C, the revelation of the Bible, or D, abandoning creation? Fantastic, the correct answer is D.

Abandoning creation is not an example of God's imminence, and this is because God being imminent means that God is involved with creation and close to creation.

So well done.

Now, for many Christians, God's imminence is also a solution to the problem of evil and suffering in the world.

Father Jason, who is a Catholic priest, explains how God's imminence help solve the problem of evil for him.

He says, "God's involvement in the world and our lives shows that God remains close to and involved with creation.

Although evil exists, God lessens the experience of suffering by remaining close to us, performing miracles and answering prayers.

For many Christians like me, this strengthens our belief that God is all loving and shows that God has not abandoned us to suffer alone, but guides us through our pain and suffering." So what we can see from Father Jason's beliefs is that God's miracles and God answering prayers shows that God is still close to humanity and therefore hasn't left them to suffer alone.

Now, as well as this, God as imminent in the person of Jesus also provides a solution to the problem of evil.

Now, this is because it shows that suffering is temporary.

So Jesus' death on the cross allows for the possibility of life in heaven at the end of this physical life.

And in heaven, it's believed that there'll be no suffering, which highlights how suffering is temporary.

Through Jesus's life and death, Christians also learn that when humans suffer, they can share in Jesus's suffering.

And this is because Jesus endure suffering on the cross.

So when humans suffer, they can grow closer to God by having the shared experience with God in human form as the person of Jesus.

And finally, God as imminent in the Holy Spirit also provides a solution to the problem of evil.

So earlier we heard from Asher who explained that he believes God's imminence is shown through the Holy Spirit.

He now explains how this provides a solution to the problem of evil and suffering.

Asher says, "Some people question whether God can be all loving if evil and suffering exists in the world; I believe that God's imminence through the Holy Spirit proves that God is all loving, despite evil.

Through the Holy Spirit, God guides and comforts humans during times of need." So what we can see here is that one of the questions raised through the problem of evil can be answered by God's imminence through the Holy Spirit.

So let's now check your understanding.

Is this statement true or false? For many Christians, God's imminence is a solution to the problem of evil in the world.

Fantastic, that statement is true, but why is that statement true? Well, it's because God as imminent, means that God is involved with and close to creation, and this means that God is able to comfort and guide people during hard times.

Many Christians believe that this is seen through the person of Jesus and through the Holy Spirit.

So well done for identifying that the statement is true and for identifying the reason why.

It's now time for your final task of the lesson.

Jacob asks you to explain to him Christian beliefs about God as imminent and how this is a possible solution to the problem of evil.

How will you explain this to Jacob? You must refer to at least one example of God's imminence in your explanation.

Here's some guidance that you might find helpful when responding to the task.

You might start by saying that many Christians believe that God is imminent, which means.

And an example of God as imminent is.

This example shows that.

And then this is a possible solution to the problem of evil because.

So pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So Jacob had asked you to explain Christian beliefs about God as imminent and how this is a possible solution to the problem of evil.

And your response might be similar to this.

Many Christians believe that God is imminent, which means that God is close to and involved with creation, which includes humanity.

An example of God as imminent is that God became human in the person of Jesus.

This example shows that God chose to become close to humanity physically and then spiritually through Jesus' death, which highlights God's imminence.

This is a possible solution to the problem of evil because God's imminence through Jesus shows that God is close to humanity, providing relief from suffering and allowing the possibility of life in heaven without evil.

So well done again for your work explaining Christian beliefs about God as imminent and how this is a possible solution to the problem of evil.

We've now reached the end of our lesson, but before we finish, let's take a look at some of the key things that we've learned today.

So we've learned that within Christianity, transcendence refers to the belief that God exists beyond the universe.

And that for many Christians, this belief is also linked to God as being eternal.

We've seen that this belief comes from interpretations of biblical teachings such as the creation account in Genesis 1.

And we've seen that God as transcendent provides a solution to the problem of evil because this belief suggests that there might be a plan or purpose to evil that only God knows.

We've also seen that many Christians believe that God is imminent, and this means that God is close to and involved with creation, which is shown through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

We also saw that God's imminence can provide comfort during times of suffering, and reinforces the belief that God is all loving.

So a huge well done for all of your work today.

It's been wonderful learning with you.