Aquinas Idea Of God: A Comparative Analysis

The idea of God is intense, as both of these analyses have shown. Aquinas’ idea of God is “Ipsum esse subsistens,” or Subsistent Act of Existing Itself (Magee, 2015). To speak of God as a self-subsistent being is to say He “Just Is.” He articulates every creature is “fundamentally composed of essence and existence.” In order for everything to exist, there must be a First Cause and Aquinas says God is that cause because without it, nothing exists. God is infinite simplicity and perfect. Aquinas and Tillich both see God as Being Itself (Fesser, 2011). Tillich places God “above God.” He writes, “God does not exist.” However, this is not in an attempt to deny God, but to demonstrate that God transcends everything. My understanding
of God is His greatness. Revelation 1: 8 reads, “"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." (NIV). This bible verse is everything. The beginning and the end … God IS, HAS, and ALWAYS WILL BE. God transcends reality. From my point of view, all we need to know is God exists to us. He is absolute. God is love and creation is His expression of his love.

References:
Magee, J.M. (2015). Knowing the Transcendence/Immanence of God. Retrieved April 11, 2016 from http://www.aquinasonline.com/Topics/godtalk.html

Fesser, E. (2011). The God above God. Retrieved April 11, 2016 from http://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2011/04/god-above-god.html