Aquinas on God's Impassibility

Moltmann Argument

Jürgen Moltmann, a German theologian, argues that the Christian understanding of God as a personal God who is present in the world implies that God can suffer. Moltmann's argument is rooted in the idea that God is relational and dynamic, rather than static and unchanging.[footnoteRef:9143] He believes that God is affected by what happens in the world, and that God experiences suffering alongside us. [9143: Jansen, Henry. "Moltmann’s View of God’s (Im) mutability: The God of the Philosophers and the God of the Bible." (1994): 284-301.]

One of the main arguments in support of Moltmann's perspective is that if God is truly a personal God who cares about humanity, then it is reasonable to assume that God would feel empathy and compassion for our suffering. This implies that God would be capable of suffering in some way, just as we do.

Another argument in support of Moltmann's perspective is based on the idea that God is not static and unchanging, but rather is actively involved in the world and affected by what happens in it. This implies that God is not immune to the effects of suffering and pain, but rather experiences these things alongside us.

Aquinas

On the other hand, St. Thomas Aquinas, a prominent theologian and philosopher, argued that God is immutable and impassible. This view is based on the idea that God is the ultimate perfection and is not subject to change or influence from anything outside of God's nature.

The argument for God's immutability is based on the idea that God is the source of all being and that all other beings are contingent upon God's existence. If God were subject to change, then this would imply that God is not perfect or complete, which would be inconsistent with the idea of God as the ultimate source of all goodness.[footnoteRef:14299] [14299: Mauser, Bernard James. "Plantinga and Aquinas on the Viability of the ‘Third Way’." Religions 14, no. 2 (2023): 226.]

The argument for God's impassibility is based on the idea that God is pure act, without potentiality or deficiency. This means that God is not affected by anything outside of God's nature, and is not subject to emotional or physical states that are caused by external influences. God's perfection and completeness mean that God is not subject to change, and therefore cannot experience emotions like joy, sorrow, or anger, which are based on external circumstances.