WAS JESUS GOD? PAPER

One of the world's leading philosophers and a staunch defender of religious faith, Richard Swinburne argues compellingly that if there is a God, then the main doctrines which the Christian Church teaches about God are very probably true. In particular, he shows that there is strong philosophical support for the belief that Jesus, while remaining God, acquired a human nature and lived on earth for thirty years as a human being. In virtue of his omnipotence and perfect goodness, the author shows, God must be a Trinity, live a human life in order to share our suffering, and found a church which would enable him to tell all humans about this. It is also quite probable that he would provide his human life as atonement for our wrongdoing, teach us how we should live, and tell us his plans for our future after death. Among founders of religions, Jesus uniquely satisfies the requirement of living the sort of human life which God would need to have lived.