act of God

Home > ... > Social Sciences and the Law > Law > Law > ...

Essential reading Compare
side-by-side The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

act of God

act of God in law, an accident caused by the operation of extraordinary natural force. The effect of ordinary natural causes (e.g., that rain will leak through a defective roof) may be foreseen and avoided by the exercise of human care; failure to take the necessary precautions constitutes negligence , and the party injured in the accident may be entitled to damages. An act of God, however, is so extraordinary and devoid of human agency that reasonable care would not avoid the consequences; hence, the injured party has no right to damages. Accidents caused by tornadoes, perils of the sea, extraordinary floods, and severe ice storms are usually considered acts of God, but fires are not so considered unless they are caused by lightning.

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

Give this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"act of God." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 30 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"act of God." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (November 30, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-actGod.html

"act of God." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-actGod.html

Learn more about citation styles

act

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | | Â© The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable 2006, originally published by Oxford University Press 2006. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

act act and deed part of a formula used in concluding a legal transaction by signing a document.
See also act of God, act of grace, Act of Union at union.

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "act." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Oxford University Press. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 30 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "act." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Oxford University Press. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (November 30, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-act.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "act." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Oxford University Press. 2006. Retrieved November 30, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-act.html

Learn more about citation styles

Related entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries and thesauruses

A Dictionary of Business entry for act of God

Rate these entries|See all related entries

Free newspaper and magazine articles

	God for Us: The Trinity and Christian Life. Magazine article from: The Christian Century; 1/6/1993
	God willing: Lincoln on the divine mystery.(Abraham Lincoln's "Meditation on the Divine Will") Magazine article from: The Christian Century; 3/8/2005
	God's delight.(Faith matters)(Column) Magazine article from: The Christian Century; 11/1/2003

Facts and information from other sites

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

	God will protect people who are true to His word.(NATION)(THE CAPITAL PULPIT) Newspaper article from: The Washington Times; 10/6/2003; 700+ words ; ...birth and before our birth. God has a claim on our lives, like...any other relationships. 3) God set Jeremiah apart for a purpose...When objects were set apart for God, they were used solely for Yahweh, and it was an act of blasphemy to remove them...
	So God 'probably' doesn't exist. Don't these atheists have any conviction? Newspaper article from: The Independent - London; 10/25/2008; ; 700+ words ; ...atheists made it clear which God it is precisely whose existence...they all subscribe to the same God in the final analysis, in the...theology and you change your God. The Christian God who plonked...indivisible Jewish God to whom such an act would have been inconceivable...
	God willing: Lincoln on the divine mystery.(Abraham Lincoln's "Meditation on the Divine Will") Magazine article from: The Christian Century; 3/8/2005; ; 700+ words ; ...to discern the will of God among the cacophony of...contests each party claims to act in accordance with the...describes here a God who acts in "quiet power." At...wills. "The will of God prevails.... In great...contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of ...
	God for Us: The Trinity and Christian Life. Magazine article from: The Christian Century; 1/6/1993; ; 700+ words ; ...described God as by nature self-communicating. The mysterious and incomprehensible God is God in the act of expressing and sharing the Godself. Gods actions reveal who God is. We can be confident that the God revealed in salvation history is in fact...
	God's SOVEREIGN Power Magazine article from: The African American Pulpit; 7/1/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...say unto the people that the God of their fathers hath sent me...What shall I say unto them?" God responded, "I Am that I Am...Moses, tell them that I Am the God who is the sovereign, unchanging God who acts and creates and judges and redeems...
	God's delight.(Faith matters)(Column) Magazine article from: The Christian Century; 11/1/2003; ; 700+ words ; ...wrongdoer? Is not distance between us and God--even terror of God--appropriate as long as we remain prodigals...of hosts!"? Why is it that we think that God should delight in us when we act--and in an important sense also are...
	ALL GOD, ALL THE TIME Newspaper article from: The Boston Globe; 10/17/2005; ; 700+ words ; ...told us in Sunday School that God is everywhere, they could have...With Harriet Miers, we see that God lives in the politics of the...criticism, but of critical thought. God is thus a trump card, a free...appeals to God, why not judges? "Acts of God" is the phrase applied...
	Putting God at risk: A critique of John Sanders's view of providence Magazine article from: Trinity Journal; 10/1/1999; ; 700+ words ; ...I am fascinated that I asked God such a question. I was a nominal...and I did not believe that God caused everything that happened...broader culture the belief that God was the cause behind all tragedies ("acts of God," as insurance companies...
	God spoke these words. Magazine article from: The Christian Century; 3/15/2000; ; 700+ words ; ...This is to worship something smaller than God, something God has made. It is to confuse the creation...return to slavery. A third is to trivialize God by forgetting that his name is holy, by...when we really do. The fourth is to make gods of ourselves. This is the underlying warning...
	Serving God as he desires Magazine article from: Washington Jewish Week; 1/10/2008; ; 700+ words ; ...s Torah portion, Va'era, God tells Moses, "Go to Pharaoh...so that they can serve me [God]." Vital to the Jewish concept of freedom is service to God (avodat Hashem). In our Torah...grandchildren how I did fearsome acts with the Egyptians, and how...