Peter Forrest - Pantheism: Is God All Reality?

Pantheism, as described, posits that God is the sum total of all reality, including both actual and possible universes. This view rejects a separate mind or soul for God, instead emphasizing the inherent consciousness and agency within the totality of existence. God's choices shape the universe, making it the way it is, and the universe itself is viewed as God's body, with no independent life.

God as the Sum Total of Reality

• 00:00:05 Pantheism, as defined here, involves God being the sum of all things, including the physical universe, its possibilities, and even potential universes. This differs from the common view of a purely inanimate universe being God. The universe in its totality, both actual and possible, constitutes God's body, rejecting the idea of a separate mind or soul.

The Mind-Body Problem

• 00:01:04 The podcast discusses the mind-body problem in the context of God. It's suggested that God, like humans, does not have a separate mind or soul that is independent of the body, or the universe in this case. The focus is on the inherent consciousness and agency within the totality of existence rather than a separate, non-physical mind.

Possible Worlds & Actualization

• 00:03:25 The concept of possible worlds is introduced as a useful image to understand God's body. Initially, there's an infinite range of possibilities for universes, and God exists as these possibilities. Actualization occurs when a choice is made from among these possibilities, and it's suggested that this choice isn't made by a separate entity but is inherent in the possibilities themselves.

Agency & Choice

• 00:05:51 The podcast explores the concept of agency and choice within the pantheistic framework. It's argued that agency, the ability to choose, is not a separate entity but is part of the choices themselves. Choices, and consequently, actualization of possibilities, happen based on the inherent nature of those possibilities, and it's a fundamental mystery of how it occurs, similar to human choices.

God's Choice & The Universe

• 00:10:25 The discussion concludes with the idea that God's choices shape the universe, making it the way it is. The universe's history and evolution are seen as a result of God's own choices within God's own body. God's existence is not separate from the universe; rather, God is the universe in its entirety, including its evolution and development.