The Existence of God and Revelation

What you'll learn

This guide covers all testable content on how religious believers understand God's existence and how God reveals himself to humanity. You'll explore classical arguments for God's existence (design, causation, miracles), different types of revelation, and religious experience. This topic is fundamental to Christian theology and appears in Paper 1 of OCR GCSE Religious Studies.

Key terms and definitions

Theist — a person who believes in the existence of God or gods

Atheist — a person who does not believe in the existence of God or gods

Agnostic — a person who believes it is impossible to know whether God exists

General revelation — indirect knowledge of God available to everyone through the natural world and conscience

Special revelation — direct, personal knowledge of God given to specific individuals through visions, scripture or miracles

Omnipotent — all-powerful; the belief that God has unlimited power

Omniscient — all-knowing; the belief that God knows everything, past, present and future

Benevolent — all-loving and all-good; the belief that God desires the best for his creation

Core concepts

The Design Argument (Teleological Argument)

The Design Argument suggests that the complexity and order in the universe point to an intelligent designer — God.

William Paley's Watchmaker Analogy:

• If you found a watch on a heath, you would conclude it had a maker due to its complexity and purpose
• The universe shows even greater complexity, order and purpose than a watch
• Therefore, the universe must have an intelligent designer (God)
• Examples of design: the human eye, seasons, Earth's position in the solar system

Strengths of the Design Argument:

• The universe does show remarkable order (laws of physics, DNA structure)
• Natural beauty and complexity seem beyond random chance
• Supported by many believers' intuitive sense of a creator

Weaknesses of the Design Argument:

• Evolution by natural selection can explain apparent design without needing God (Charles Darwin)
• The universe contains much that appears poorly designed (natural disasters, diseases)
• Who designed the designer? The argument leads to infinite regress
• David Hume argued that even if the argument works, it doesn't prove the Christian God specifically

The First Cause Argument (Cosmological Argument)

This argument, developed by Thomas Aquinas, states that everything has a cause, and this chain must lead back to an uncaused first cause — God.

The argument's structure:

• Everything in the universe has a cause
• The universe itself must have had a cause
• The chain of causes cannot go back infinitely
• There must be an uncaused first cause that started everything
• This first cause is God

Aquinas' First Three Ways:

1. Motion — everything in motion was put in motion by something else; there must be a first unmoved mover
2. Causation — everything has a cause; there must be an uncaused first cause
3. Contingency — everything exists contingently (depends on something else); there must be a necessary being

Strengths of the First Cause Argument:

• Logically sound — causes and effects are observable
• Explains why there is something rather than nothing
• Supported by the Big Bang theory (universe had a beginning)

Weaknesses of the First Cause Argument:

• Why must the chain of causes have a beginning? The universe might be infinite
• Science may eventually explain the universe's origin without God
• If everything needs a cause, what caused God? If God doesn't need a cause, why does the universe?
• Bertrand Russell: "The universe is just there, and that's all"

Miracles as evidence for God's existence

A miracle is an extraordinary event that breaks the laws of nature and is attributed to God's intervention.

Types of miracles in Christianity:

• Biblical miracles — Jesus walking on water, feeding the 5,000, raising Lazarus
• Modern claimed miracles — spontaneous healings at Lourdes, answered prayers

David Hume's critique of miracles:

• Natural laws are based on consistent, repeated experience
• A miracle, by definition, violates natural laws
• It is always more likely that testimony about miracles is mistaken or false than that natural laws were actually broken
• People are credulous and enjoy spreading sensational stories

Arguments supporting miracles:

• Thousands of eyewitnesses to biblical miracles
• Medical records document unexplained healings
• Religious believers experience God's power directly
• Miracles strengthen faith and bring people to God

Arguments against miracles:

• Lack of scientific evidence; modern miracles can't be reliably verified
• Alternative explanations exist (psychosomatic healing, coincidence, exaggeration)
• Miracles contradict a consistent, orderly universe created by God
• If God performs miracles, why not prevent all suffering?

Religious experience as revelation

Religious experience refers to any experience where a person feels they have encountered God or the divine.

Types of religious experience:

Prayer:

• Communication with God through words, thoughts or silence
• Christians believe God listens and sometimes responds
• Can be personal (private devotion) or corporate (church services)

Numinous experiences:

• A sense of awe and wonder in God's presence
• Feeling of being in the presence of something greater than yourself
• Rudolf Otto described the "mysterium tremendum" — the fearful mystery of God

Conversion experiences:

• A dramatic change in religious belief or commitment
• Example: St Paul's conversion on the Damascus Road (Acts 9)
• Modern example: Nicky Cruz, gang leader converted to Christianity

Visions:

• Seeing or hearing something supernatural
• Example: St Bernadette's vision of Mary at Lourdes (1858)
• Can be corporeal (physical appearance), imaginative (in the mind) or intellectual (receiving knowledge)

Strengths of religious experience arguments:

• Direct and personal — more convincing to individuals than philosophical arguments
• Millions of people across cultures report such experiences
• Experiences often transform lives positively
• William James documented numerous cases in The Varieties of Religious Experience

Weaknesses of religious experience arguments:

• Subjective and cannot be verified by others
• Might be psychological phenomena (hallucinations, wish fulfilment)
• Could result from natural causes (drugs, lack of sleep, mental illness)
• People from different religions report contradictory experiences
• If God reveals himself to some, why not to everyone?

General vs Special Revelation

General Revelation:

• Knowledge of God available to all people through creation
• The natural world shows God's power and glory (Psalm 19: "The heavens declare the glory of God")
• Conscience — an inner sense of right and wrong implanted by God
• Supports the Design Argument
• Allows people everywhere to sense God's existence

Special Revelation:

• God revealing himself directly to specific people
• Through scripture — the Bible as God's inspired word
• Through Jesus Christ — "the Word became flesh" (John 1:14)
• Through visions, prophecies and miracles
• More detailed and personal than general revelation
• Christians believe special revelation is necessary for salvation

The nature of the Christian God

Understanding arguments for God's existence requires knowing what Christians believe about God:

God's characteristics:

• Omnipotent — all-powerful; can do anything logically possible
• Omniscient — all-knowing; knows past, present and future
• Omnibenevolent — all-loving; desires good for all creation
• Eternal — exists outside time; has no beginning or end
• Transcendent — exists beyond and outside the physical universe
• Immanent — present and active within the world
• Personal — capable of relationship with humans

These characteristics raise philosophical questions (e.g. the problem of evil) but are central to Christian belief and affect how believers interpret evidence for God.

Worked examples

Example 1: 2-mark question

Question: Give two reasons why some people believe in God.

Answer: One reason is the Design Argument — the complexity and order in the universe suggest an intelligent designer. (1 mark)

Another reason is personal religious experience — many people feel they have directly encountered God through prayer or worship. (1 mark)

Mark scheme guidance: Award 1 mark for each distinct reason. Answers must be developed enough to show understanding.

Example 2: 5-mark question

Question: Explain two ways in which belief in miracles might lead to belief in God.

Answer: One way is that miracles demonstrate God's power over nature. For example, when Jesus calmed the storm (Mark 4:35-41), this showed he had divine authority over creation. If someone witnesses or hears about such events, they might conclude that only God could perform such actions, leading them to believe in his existence. (3 marks)

Another way is through personal experience of healing miracles. If a Christian prays for healing and experiences unexpected recovery, they may interpret this as God's direct intervention in their life. This personal encounter with divine power can create or strengthen belief in God. For instance, claimed healings at Lourdes have led many to Christian faith. (2 marks)

Mark scheme guidance: Award 3 marks for a developed explanation and 2 marks for a simple explanation. Look for: clear reasoning, religious terminology, specific examples.

Example 3: 12-mark evaluation question

Question: "The First Cause Argument proves that God exists." Discuss this statement showing that you have considered more than one point of view. (You must refer to religion and belief in your answer.)

Answer:

Some Christians agree because the First Cause Argument provides logical reasoning for God's existence. Everything we observe has a cause — children have parents, buildings have builders, and even the universe had a beginning (the Big Bang). It is logical to conclude that this chain must lead back to an uncaused first cause, which believers identify as God. Thomas Aquinas developed this argument, and it remains influential because it makes rational sense: infinite regress seems impossible, so there must be a starting point. For believers, this first cause must be God because only an eternal, omnipotent being could create the universe from nothing.

However, atheists reject this argument because it contains logical flaws. If everything needs a cause, then God must also need a cause, leading to infinite regress. If believers claim God doesn't need a cause because he is eternal and necessary, then why couldn't the universe itself be eternal and necessary? Bertrand Russell argued "the universe is just there, and that's all." Furthermore, even if the argument succeeds in proving a first cause, it doesn't prove the Christian God specifically — it could be any deity or simply an impersonal force that started the universe.

Additionally, some agnostics argue that the question is ultimately unanswerable. Science continues to develop theories about the universe's origins, such as quantum fluctuations or multiverse theories, which might eventually explain existence without needing God. The argument worked better before modern cosmology, but now seems less compelling.

In conclusion, while the First Cause Argument provides logical reasoning that appeals to many believers, it doesn't constitute proof because it contains philosophical problems and cannot be empirically verified. Religious faith typically depends on more than philosophical arguments alone — personal experience and revelation are equally important for most Christians.

Mark scheme guidance: Levels of response marked. Top level (10-12 marks) requires: balanced arguments from different viewpoints, detailed religious knowledge, evaluation throughout leading to a justified conclusion, accurate use of terminology.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

• Confusing the arguments — Students mix up the Design Argument (based on order/complexity) with the First Cause Argument (based on causation). Keep them distinct: design = purpose, first cause = origin.

• Vague religious examples — Don't just write "miracles prove God exists." Give specific examples like "Jesus healing the paralyzed man" or "claimed healings at Lourdes" to demonstrate knowledge.

• One-sided evaluation answers — The 12-mark questions require "more than one point of view." Always include religious believers' perspectives AND non-religious counterarguments, even if you personally agree with one side.

• Ignoring the command words — "Explain" requires reasoning and development; "Give" just requires stating information; "Discuss" or "Evaluate" requires weighing up arguments. Tailor your answer accordingly.

• Confusing terms — Don't mix up atheist (believes God doesn't exist) with agnostic (believes we can't know if God exists). Precision matters.

• Forgetting religious perspectives — These questions are about Religious Studies, not philosophy alone. Always connect arguments to what Christians actually believe and practice.

Exam technique for "The Existence of God and Revelation"

• 2-mark questions: State two distinct points clearly. One sentence each is sufficient. No need for explanation or examples.

• 5-mark questions: Provide two ways/reasons with explanation. Aim for one developed point (3 marks) and one simple point (2 marks). Use religious examples and terminology.

• 12-mark evaluation questions: Use a four-paragraph structure: introduction, argument for, argument against, conclusion. Include religious and non-religious perspectives. Evaluate throughout, not just at the end. Refer to religious teachings, scripture or examples.

• Use specialist terminology accurately: Words like omnipotent, transcendent, general revelation demonstrate higher-level understanding and gain credit.

Quick revision summary

Arguments for God's existence include the Design Argument (universe's complexity suggests a designer), First Cause Argument (everything has a cause, leading back to God), and evidence from miracles and religious experience. General revelation is God's disclosure through nature; special revelation is direct communication through scripture, Jesus and visions. Atheists counter with scientific explanations, logical problems and lack of empirical evidence. Christians believe these arguments, combined with personal faith and experience, provide reasonable grounds for belief in an omnipotent, omniscient, benevolent God.