Jeff, List: Again, it is highly misleading to characterize theism as conceiving God to be "entirely separate from the evolving cosmos."
As for your specific question, the classical theistic arguments for the reality of God typically include, as one of their deductive conclusions, that God *must *be immaterial. Peirce himself says that God as *Ens necessarium* is a "disembodied spirit, or pure mind" (CP 6.490, 1908); and as I have emphasized repeatedly, by his own testimony, when he refers to God as "mind" he is using that term vaguely, figuratively, loosely, and analogously. Moreover ... CSP: Since God, in His essential character of *Ens necessarium*, is a disembodied spirit, and since there is strong reason to hold that what we call consciousness is either merely the general sensation of the brain or some part of it, or at all events some visceral or bodily sensation, God probably has no consciousness. (CP 6.489) So, Peirce seems to hold that embodiment is necessary for consciousness, but not for mind; and he complains elsewhere (at some length) about psychologists routinely confusing the two (CP 7.364-367, 1902). Regards, Jon Alan Schmidt - Olathe, Kansas, USA Structural Engineer, Synechist Philosopher, Lutheran Christian www.LinkedIn.com/in/JonAlanSchmidt / twitter.com/JonAlanSchmidt On Fri, Sep 20, 2024 at 5:25 PM Jeffrey Brian Downard < [email protected]> wrote: > Colleagues, > > > > If I step back from the philosophical inquiries and think about questions > concerning the nature of the divine in a more commonsense manner, the > following question comes to mind. Normally, I think minds, thoughts and > representations need—in some sense—to be embodied to have the power to > govern, create, etc. > > > > Does the same apply to the conception of a Divine Mind that is infinite > and perfect? I suspect those who are attracted to some form of pantheism or > panentheism may think this is one consideration in favor of conceiving of > the Mind of God as being embodied the universe, which is its body. > > > > Do theists who hold God is entirely separate from the evolving cosmos hold > that the Mind of God is embodied in something else, or do they think such a > perfect mind needs no embodiment? > > > > Yours, > > > > Jeff > >
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