THEOLOGICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL
BIOGRAPHY AND GLOSSARY

OBJECTIONS:

See Arguments for God, and objections

OBJECTIONS AGAINST GOD:

See Arguments for God, and objections

OBJECTIVE:

See Objective idealism; and Objective relativism

OBJECTIVE IDEALISM:

The objective world is mental but objective, i.e., independent of the human knower alone, because it belongs to an absolute knower or world mind. Differs from Subjective Idealism (Berkeleyanism) in that it teaches an absolute mind (monism) of which finite minds are manifestations. Subjective Idealism teaches many individual minds (knowers).

OBJECTIVE RELATIVISM:

*

OBJECTIVISM:

objects are independent of mind and present their properties directly to the knower through sense data. Things known and sense data are one (epistemological realism as epistemological monism). See Axiological objectivism or Realism

OBLIGATION:

See Duty

OCCASIONALISM:

The theory that mind and body are separate realities which do not interact but that events occur in one as they occur in the other according as God wills their occurrence. (Malebranche) *

Ochino, Bernardino:

(1487-1564) Italian Roman Catholic preacher.

Ockenga, Harold John:

(1905-1985) US Congregational preacher.

Ockham, William of:

(c1300-1349) British theologian influenced by Duns Scotus; against Aquinas; reason cannot give us knowledge of God only revelation and faith can; followers called Ockhamists. Wrote 1. Summa Logicae and 2. Dialogus Inter Magistrum et Discipulum. Said "Doctrines peculiar to revealed theology are not susceptible to proof by pure reason." Opposed papal infallibility; denied the civil authority of the Church; excommunicated for his views.

Oecolampadius, Johann:

(1482-1531) German /Swiss Reformer; trained in law; noted philologist; influenced by Erasmus, Melanchthon, and Luther; close associate of Zwingli.

Olford, Stephen:

(1918-2004) US Baptist (originally from UK); preacher.

Oman, John Wood:

(1860-1939) British Presbyterian theologian; liberal; principal of Westminster College; wrote 1. The Natural and the Supernatural and 2. Concerning the Ministry.

ONTOLOGICAL:

See Ontological argument for God

ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT:

See Ontological argument for God

ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT FOR GOD:

*

ONTOLOGY:

The theory of being as such, i.e., of ultimate reality.

OPEN-QUESTION:

See Open-question test

OPEN-QUESTION TEST:

* (Moore)

OPERATIONALISM:

Also called Operationism. A theory of knowledge advanced by Bridgman, comparable to Dewey's instrumentalism in the belief that the meaning of a concept is "synonymous with the corresponding set of operations." Bridgman

OPERATIONISM:

See Operationalism

OPPOSITES:

See Opposites principle

OPPOSITES PRINCIPLE:

*

Orchard, William Edwin:

(1877-1955) British preacher who was Anglican then Presbyterian then Congregational then Romcan Catholic.

ORDINARY:

See Ordinary language philosophy; and Ordinary use

ORDINARY LANGUAGE:

See Ordinary language philosophy

ORDINARY LANGUAGE PHILOSOPHY:

*

ORDINARY USE:

* (Ryle)

ORGANISM:

* (Whitehead)

Origen:

(c 185-254) theologian; wrote 1. Against Celsus and 2. Fundamental Doctrines (De principiis); Christians can speculate on anything except the fundamental doctrines; he held to reincarnation; ultimate restoration to God of all creatures including the devil; held three forms of hermeneutic which allowed for allegorizing truth; note spelling of his name "--en" not "--in."

ORIGIN:

See Origin of life

ORIGIN OF LIFE:

Four possibilities: 1. Divine creation (biblical supernaturalism, biblical theism); 2. Interstellar origin (Anaxagoras, Arrhenius, Helmholtz, Lord Kelvin, et al.); 3. Hylozoism, animism all nature is alive (primitivism, pre-Socratic Milesian philosophy, et al.); 4. Evolution from inorganic matter (now the most widely held view; originally held by Anaximander, Lucretius, et al.).

Orr, James:

(1844-1913) Scottish theologian; moderate Calvinist; wrote many books including: The Christian View of God and the World.

ORTHODOXY:

See Neo-orthodoxy and Evangelicalism

Osiander, Andreas:

(1498-1552) German theologian reformer; followed Luther; merged justification and regeneration.

Otto, Rudolf:

(1869-1937) German theologian; professor at Gottingen, Breslau and Marburg; admired Schleiermacher; wrote The Idea of the Holy emphasized transcendent God.

Owen, John:

(1616-1683) British Congregational Puritan theologian; entered Oxford at age 12; got master's degree at age 19; supported Parliamentary cause in Civil War; chaplain to Cromwell; emphasized congregational form of church government; Non-conformist; wrote The Epistle to the Hebrews His works are found in 16 volumes.

OXFORD:

See Oxford School

OXFORD SCHOOL:

*

Oxnam, Garfield Bromley:

(1891-1963) US Methodist; liberal; textual preacher; taught social ethics.

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