Knowing God through Natural
Revelation, Reason, and Faith
Our Lady of Lourdes High School
Grade 9 Mrs. Safford
Fall 2014
Nicene Creed History
• The Nicene Creed is the only creed accepted
by all three major branches of Christianity:
Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant.
• It was adopted by a general Council of the
entire Church (Ecumenical) in 325 A.D., and
revised by a general council of the entire
Church in 381 A.D.
• Video: What is a Creed?
• Video: History of the Nicene Creed
Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of
heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son
of God, born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true
God,
Begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation, he came down from
heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the
Virgin Mary, and became man.
Nicene Creed (cont.)
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
He suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third
day in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the
Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who
proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and
the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the
prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I confess
one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to
the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
Amen!
KNOWING GOD THROUGH REASON
Questions to Think About…
• What is natural religion?
• What are the two fundamental ways of
knowing God?
What is natural religion?
• Each human being is born with a natural
desire for God, which is answered in the
natural capacity to know God through reason.
• God’s supernatural desire is for us to live in
communion with him, so he reaches out and
enables people to find him.
• Video: The Desire for God
What are the two fundamental ways
of knowing God?
• The fundamental ways of knowing God are
through reason and revelation.
• Human reason can lead one to realize God
exists. It can even tell us some about his
divine nature.
• Plato and Aristotle (pagan philosophers), using
reason alone, concluded that there was one
God, and he must be eternal and perfect.
Vocabulary
Define on a piece of paper the following words:
• Agnosticism
• Atheism
• Dogma
• Faith
• Natural Law
• Natural Revelation
• Reason
• Religious Being
• Revelation
• Science
This will count as a homework grade
KNOWING GOD THROUGH
NATURAL REVELATION
Questions to Think About…
• What is natural knowledge of God?
• Who is Saint Thomas Aquinas?
• What are the five ways that Saint Thomas
Aquinas wrote to prove the existence of God?
What is natural knowledge of God?
• A person can discover the existence of God
and some of his attributes by reason from the
things he has created.
• Video: Does God Exist?
What are the five ways to prove the
existence of God?
Video: Five Proofs of the Existence of God
Saint Thomas Aquinas offers 5 ways to prove the
existence of God based on reason:
1. First Mover
2. Everything has a cause
3. Possibility and Necessity
4. Perfection
5. Governance
Homework
• Write a creative letter to someone who is an
Atheist by using the five ways that Saint
Thomas Aquinas proved that God exists.
Remember to use examples to support each
of the five reasons.
This will count as a quiz grade.
SCIENCE AND REASON
Questions to Think About…
• What is the relationship between science and
reason?
• What is scientism?
• Can modern science support the idea of God?
• What are the principle errors regarding the
existence of God?
What is the relationship between
science and reason?
• Science is a particular, highly successful form
of reasoning, but it is only a portion of what
can be known through reason.
What is scientism?
• Scientism is a view that reduces knowledge to
what can be known through the methods of
science.
Can modern science support the idea
of God?
• The findings of modern science can be the
grounds for philosophical reflection, which
can lead to a belief in God.
What are the principle errors regarding
the existence of God?
• Some principle errors regarding the existence
of God are:
1.Atheism
2.Agnosticism
3.Rationalism
4.Fideism
Atheism
• It is the denial of the existence of God.
• Video: Answering Atheism
Agnosticism
• Believes that the existence of God can not be
proven.
• Agnostics believe that faith is irrational because
they believe that human reason must confine
itself to those truths that are observable to the
human senses.
Rationalism
• Strict rationalists believe that they should judge
everything solely and exclusively to philosophical
or scientific reason.
Fideism
• Accepts religious beliefs without grasping their
intellectual content, without seeing the reason
which make them believable, without seeing
their connection with other realities, and without
acknowledging the right to intellectual life to
which faith is entitled.
A Love Letter from God
• Video: A Love Letter from God
Citations for this Chapter
from You Tube:
• A Love Letter from God. Author: God Loves You.
http://youtu.be/BJMy5X4tq-E
• Answering Atheism. Author: Christopher Stefanick.
http://youtu.be/9hU38OPq1qk
• Five Proofs of the Existence of God. Author: tcuburr.
http://youtu.be/-XhMy79k4gA
• C4 Ignite Your Faith-The Desire for God. Author:
Archdiocese of Milwaukee with Bishop Don Hying.
What is a Creed? http://youtu.be/kVnOoF808rQ
Does God Exist? http://youtu.be/Ndf9OoDooLU
The Desire for God http://youtu.be/3w6AVuuPXAQ
Citations for this Chapter
• History of the Nicene Creed. Massengell, C., et al.
Published on March 10,2013
http://youtu.be/BfYxt6Jx_do
Book: Armenio, Rev. Peter. Faith and Revelation:
Knowing God through Sacred Scripture. 1st ed.
Woodridge: Midwest Theological Forum, 2009.
Pictures were taken from various sources via
Google images.