DEFENDING THE OMNIPOTENT: BLASPHEMY VIOLENCE AND THE PARADOX OF DIVINE OMNIPOTENCE IN CHRISTIAN AND ISLAMIC THOUGHT

Abstract

Blasphemy-related violence has become a recurring phenomenon in several religious societies, raising profound philosophical and theological questions about the nature of divine power and human agency. This study examines the relationship between blasphemy-based violence and the doctrine of divine omnipotence within Christian and Islamic thought. The central problem addressed is the apparent paradox that arises when believers resort to violent actions to defend the honor of a deity traditionally understood to be omnipotent and self-sufficient. Using a philosophical and comparative theological methodology, the study undertakes a critical analysis of classical and contemporary interpretations of omnipotence in both traditions. It engages key theological sources, philosophical arguments, and ethical perspectives to interrogate whether violent defense of the divine coheres with the logic of divine sovereignty. The study argues that blasphemy-based violence reflects a theological inconsistency that implicitly limits divine omnipotence by attributing to humans the role of protectors of the sacred. By reassessing the concept of omnipotence through philosophical reasoning and ethical theology, the research contributes to contemporary debates on religion, violence, and freedom of expression, while offering a normative framework for discouraging religiously motivated violence in plural societies. It recommends that religious fanaticism should be discouraged among religious adherents  as it is the bedrock of blasphemy violence in any multi-religious society.