It is ironic that in the Roman Empire, one of the accusations brought against the early Christians was that they were Atheists. When St. Polycarp of Smyrna (69-155AD), a disciple of the Apostle John was about to be martyred, the proconsul accusing him of his crimes urged Polycarp to renounce Christ and his fellow Christians as atheists. Rejecting the proconsul’s accusations Polycarp turned to the angry crowds and instead he accused them of being atheists. (Martyrdom of Polycarp, 3, 9). The Romans’ accusation was due to the Christians’ refusal to worship all the gods of the Roman Pantheon, and because of their desire to worship Christ alone, as ‘Lord and God’ (Jn 20:28). Today’s atheism is a different story.

Today, more than ever there is great confusion regarding the question of God’s existence. Ever since the Age of the Enlightenment during the 17th and 18th centuries people have increasingly become more sceptical about God’s existence, but during the Middle Ages it was not so. In this talk, therefore, Andrew Wood will take you back to look closely at Saint Thomas Aquinas’ proofs for the existence of God. In doing so, he will also look at the nature of modern-day science, its distinction from philosophy, and its inevitable inability to answer the question of God’s existence, either in the affirmative, or in the negative.

This talk will definitely give you a greater appreciation for the Middle Ages, for philosophy, and for our ability to know for sure that God exists!

Listen to a Sample of this Talk