Bible 2 Flashcards
what is revelation
a central idea within Christian theology
God has made himself known through history in both his nature and purpose for human existence and the laws by which humans are expected to live
how does revelation link to the bible
for christians, the bible is the divinely inspired record of that revelation
what do the two testaments in the bible indicate
a belief that there is a transformation in God’s relationship with man
e.g. the covenant he established with Moses and Jewish people, and the covenant established with those who accept Jesus as their divine saviour
what is the most accepted explanation of revealed theology
as humans developed and changed through history, God was able to unfold a fuller understanding of himself
gradual, we can see a pattern God revealing himself through the bible
what is the final and full revelation of God
Jesus
strengths of revealed threology
actual reference point
helps people to get closer to him
fits idea of personal God
weaknesses of revealed theology
disagreements between old and New Testament
difference in interpretations
canon issue
what does natural revelation refer to
the human ability to come to a fuller understanding of the nature of God through observing his creation and the use of reason
romans
Romans 1:20
‘God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have clearly been seen’
what did st Paul teach
taught the romans God has always been available through the things he made
The order of the world allows God and his perfection to be seen
What is an example of natural revelation
the human conscious
‘voice’ telling them when they’ve behaved wrongly - for Christians this is the voice of God
Conscience reveals God’s will
what are strengths of natural theology
looks at the good in the world
suggests God’s always present
weaknesses of revealed theology
opinion based, someone could experience God in correctly
doesn’t allow God to be perfect
big leap from what you see to what you conclude
not confined to formation of bible
What does Christian spirituality record
many examples of Mystical experiences
what are mystical experiences
personal encounters between a believer and God that transforms the life of the individual
who do Christian mystics tend to belong to
Catholic and Orthodox traditions, but not exclusively
Among the most famous are the Spanish mystics: teresa of Avila and John of the Cross
what does the mystical experience often involve
a period of meditation during which the person believes they experience a transformative encounter with the divine
what it one central element of mysticism experience referred to as
and what is it
illumination
Holy Spirit enlightens mind to a fuller and deeper understanding of
the nature of God and his works
what can these experiences not be seen as and why
can’t be seen as a new revelation
revelation reached its fullness in Jesus
rather a deeper understanding granted to the individual mystic
How does the Holy Spirit disclose himself - mysticism + 2 e.g.
discloses himself through the passion of Christ
revelation/speaking to Moses through the burning bush
what do mystics seek
truth in themselves
What do many Christians accept in terms of the bible (interpretation of scripture)
writers made some measure of editorial judgement on what to include and how to communicate the underlying message of each of these books
what else may writiers of the bible been influenced by (interpretation of scripture) + e.g.
the beliefs of the community in which they lived/or for which they wrote
e.g. Paul largely wrote to gentile communities in Greece and Rome who would have limited references to the OT
What is biblical exegesis (interpretation of scripture)
the work of trying to interpret the text within the context it was written
What are the four models of biblical exegesis
literary criticism
form criticism
redaction criticism
historical criticism
Literary criticism
makes use of evidence both within writing and historical sources
to determine matters such as authorship, date and intended readership
e.g. NT mainly focused on synoptic gospels - based on common traditions about the ministry of Jesus
strengths and weaknesses of literary criticism
helps find accuracies
enables a fuller understanding
word of God, why do we need to know authorship/context
to what extent is this information helpful
form criticism
identifies patterns
tracing the original form back to its historical context allows a better understanding of what writer intended to communicate
e.g. allows us to consider whether genesis was meant to be metaphorical
strengths and weaknesses of form criticism
letters are more likely to be factual
doesn’t present disagreement about form’s meaning
redaction criticism
(or editorial criticism)
Looks at how the pieces have been put together to reveal intention
e.g. contrast in Mark of when Jesus experiences rejection be Jewish community to faith in Gentiles is through to be intentional of mark
strengths and weaknesses of redaction criticism
allows for a deeper meaning
bias - could negatively impact other groups e.g. Jews
historical criticism
Historical context
compares with other texts of the same period
e.g. better understanding of the religion of jewish people in the Old Testament compared with other contemporary Middle Eastern religions
e.g. evidence of gnosticism in some spiritual expressions of Christianity
strengths and weaknesses of historical criticism
non-faith based evidence for contextualising it
could backfire, fail to back something up/bias
Strength of biblical exegesis to do with modern thinking
As some of the bible can be written of with scientific findings and historical scholarship, academic methodology brings renewed focus to Bible’s historical and moral significance
Instead of outright rejection of bible, it’s helped to re-established intellectual credibility for modern times
Strength of biblical exegesis to do with the oppressed
exposed previous errors in interpretation
sympathetic to position of women in Judea-Christian faith and those who suffer oppression
fed into liberation, black and feminist theologies
Strength of biblical exegesis to do with issues
issues in biblical times continue to be relevant in the modern world
e.g. a better understanding of the context of biblical attitudes to warfare, sickness, poverty allows Christians to respond in a way faithful to the Bible’s message
Weakness of biblical exegesis to do with authority
can undermine Bible’s authority
we see human authorship without divine inspiration
Weakness of biblical exegesis to do with Rudolf Bultmann
leading figure in the field of form criticism
his work has often been described as demythologising the bible - only possible explanation that the Bible is a collection of myths not truths
Weakness of biblical exegesis to do with interpretation
different groups can choose to interpret the bible from their own perspective
e.g. NT is less focused on Jesus as a saviour and now focused on humans
