2. A Short History of Theistic Ideas

Philosophical theism was built on the the first articulated monotheism that dates from the late Second Temple Jewish period of the prophetic tradition. We will see how the ideas of Greek philosophy came to be used to understand this Semitic theism and also the theism of Christianity. We will trace its development within Western philosophy and explain how it produced, and was then influenced by, scientific ideas and investigations. The exposition here is brief and takes the place of a more complete account which would include more of the Islamic and Indian contributions to theistic thought. Each era had its own underground currents, many of which were influential and even popular. Those currents were often hardly recognized by philosophy and were regarded as heterodox by the churches.

Every ontology, whether explicitly theistic or not, addresses similar issues. We want to see how the various recurring themes of Chapter 1 have been dealt with in the past. We also want to clarify the opposing tendencies in seeking explanations or resolutions of those problems. We will examine the tension between those philosophies that start from God and those that start from nature.

• 2.1 Greek philosophical foundations
• 2.2 Christian theism
• 2.3 The scientific revolution
• 2.4 Insights and critiques
• 2.5 Creation and evolution
• 2.6 Consciousness and process
• 2.7 Quantum influences