December 16, 2012   Edward Viljoen , God , Joyce Duffala , Seeing Good at Work , What does God do , What is God , Who is God

What is God? Who is God? And what does he, she, it do?

I prefer to ask the question What is God, rather than Who is God, to help me drop the tendency to create God in my own human likeness. ...

I prefer to ask the question What is God, rather than Who is God, to help me drop the tendency to create God in my own human likeness.  We have progressed so far past the former anthropomorphic concept of god with human attributes and qualities that people are thinking about what God is to them.  No person can possibly give a complete answer, however, in attempting to define what God is to ourselves we contribute to each other's understanding. 

I frequently suggest to people I am working with that they imagine they are suddenly responsible for the religious education of the world's children, and that they are to write a definition of what God is without drawing upon the authority of any text, or any existing religious idea.  Just to see what they come up with.

In this video, Rev. Joyce Duffala, who co wrote Seeing Good At Work with me, takes the topic a step further and talks about what "It" does.  What does that thing called God, do?  What an excellent question.  What do you think It is and does?

Further reading

John Hefferlin's explanation of God

The Three Faces of God