Ep #67 – Simplicity & Incarnation w/ Dr. Tim Pawl
Summary
In the incarnation, the Son of God assumed a human nature . Men are composite in all sorts of ways. So, how can absolute divine simplicity fit with the Incarnation? Must Christians assert contradictories that God is both simple and composite? How can we think about this? Dr. Timothy Pawl is back on the podcast to answer these questions and more.
Guest Bio
Tim Pawl is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of St. Thomas, in Minnesota. Much of his published work focuses on presenting the philosophical arguments against the teachings of the Catholic Church, then assessing whether they succeed. He’s published two books with Oxford University Press defending the philosophical coherence of the Christian teaching of the incarnation, and he has an introductory text on the Incarnation forthcoming in 2020 in the Cambridge Elements Series.
Show Outline
In the first segment, Dr. Pawl discusses his most recent work on the incarnation and other topics. Next, he summarizes some important ideas about incarnation from his last appearance on the podcast. Helpfully, Dr. Pawl provides some definitions of divine simplicity and incarnation to set the stage for further discussion.
In the next segment, Dr. Pawl answers a big question: how is the incarnation consistent with absolute divine simplicity? After his reconciliation, I ask what he means that his revised truth conditions are “materially adequate.”
In the final segment, we consider two claims from St. Thomas: (1) God does not enter into composition with creatures [Summa 1.3] and (2) the union of divine and human nature is created [Summa 3.2]. I ask Dr. Pawl how these ideas are consistent. Thankfully, he provides a very clear answer.
Resources Mentioned
In Defense of Conciliar Christology by Dr. Timothy Pawl
In Defense of Extended Conciliar Christology by Dr. Timothy Pawl
Note: If you find any of these to be prohibitively priced, see my advice here.
Conciliar Christology and the Consistency of Divine Immutability with a Mutable, Incarnate God by Dr. Timothy Pawl (an essay in Nova et Vetera)
Related Episodes
Ep. #29 – Defending Conciliar Christology w/ Dr. Tim Pawl
Ep. #64 – Absolute Divine Simplicity w/ Dr. Dolezal
Check out Dr. Pawl’s recent appearance on the Trinities Podcast
Hi John, this episode, #67 on Divine simplicity and the Incarnation, is not populating in iTunes.
Thanks, Tim, for letting me know. I attempted to remedy the situation, so perhaps try reloading it today on your app. If it doesn’t work, you should still be able to listen on this page or download it separately. Sorry for any inconvenience.