1. Anselms Proslogion is best treated as one coherent and extended prayer.

It
reveals the structure of religious experience: that of the movements of faith, desire,
and understanding. God is not just id quo m aius cogitari nequit , but also quid dam
maius quam cogitari possit . More than just an argument for Gods existence, it
informs us about how to open ourselves to what is believed. Reasoning about God
ends with the recognition of the ultimate goal: gaudium .
2. Aquinass arguments prove that god is the Unmoved Mover, the Uncaused Cause,
the Necessary Being, the Supreme Being, and the Intelligent Designer. Everything
begins and ends with God. One cannot give what it doesnt have, and what one has
is always what one has received. Tout est grceAll is grace.
3. The greatest challenge to any understanding of God is The Problem of Evil.
Ultimately, the existence of evil is beyond comprehension. In the face of the one
who suffered, all explanations fall short. Taking evil as a point of departure, I can
either accept lifes absurdity, or find strength to hope.
4. Absurdity is the tension between mans nostalgia for meaning and the silence of
the irrational world. Although ultimately life might not have meaning, it doesnt
mean its not worth it. Suicide is not the answerand neither is hope. One must live
the Absurd through revolt. That revolt gives life its value. Sisyphus is the absurd
hero. Camus writes, ...the struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a
mans heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.
5. Hope is the turning of ones self towards a light not yet perceived while in a
situation of darkness and captivity. It is the refusal to accept the current situation as
final. In the midst of suffering and evil, hope can be found. To hope is to remain
open maintaining a balance between patience and trust. Hope avoids selfdeception if it is not fixed on a definite object, but remains to be the pure
expression of I hope...