How many type of being are there?

[KevinK]

Does the Church define how many different types or kinds of beings there are. For example, there are humans, angels, God, Nephilim, etc. Part of this will depend on the definition of “type” but I think at least the examples are all different “types”.

 

[Vico]

Does the Church define how many different types or kinds of beings there are. For example, there are humans, angels, God, Nephilim, etc. Part of this will depend on the definition of “type” but I think at least the examples are all different “types”.

There are countless creatures. There are at least the angels and mankind among rational created beings.

 

[KevinK]

There are countless creatures

Are you using the word “creatures” as synonymous with “types”?

 

[Vico]

Vico:

There are countless creatures

Are you using the word “creatures” as synonymous with “types”?

In the archaic sense everything created is a creature. Nowadays creatures means animals or persons, so I usually specify rational being. Something that exists is a being.

 

[Mary888]

I think the types are limited. Creation means setting boundaries. Think of when you had to create something like say a school essay. Say it was on a subject you loved and knew. There were all these thoughts and feelings swarming in your head that seemed like an endless river of joy and you were happy but could not write anything coherent at all. The paper was blank. You had to make a chart, emphasize certain ideas and words in order to make your message get a form. You had to set limits in order for the words to make sense.
In the beginning there was the word. So my bet is Creation is limited even if the Creator is limitless.

 

[Magnanimity]

Strictly speaking, God is not “a being” among many. As in, he’s not the biggest guy in the universe. Properly, God does not even belong in the genus of being. He isn’t a “type.” Rather, he is ipsum esse subsistens or actus purus. He IS existence. What it is to be God is substantial existence itself.

And then there’s everything else…all of which is contingent and only exists by what may be called an improper share in the divine existence.

 

[KevinK]

Sounds like pantheism.

 

[Rob2]

Does the Church define how many different types or kinds of beings there are. For example, there are humans, angels, God, Nephilim, etc. ".

God is nor a type of being.

God is the source of being of which God is beyond .

 

[KevinK]

God is nor a type of being.

Would you say Jesus is a being? He was crucified, ate, drank, walked, talked. Seems to me to meet any definition of a being. Therefore the following syllogism:

Jesus is a being.
Jesus is God.
Therefore God is a being.

 

[Magnanimity]

Thomistic theism and pantheism are closer than most people are probably comfortable with. But Thomistic theism is a mature, defensible position against atheism or pantheism. Deism (or any view that makes God a big, huge being among all the other beings in the universe) is subject to all manner of critiques.