Bible 2

Question 1

what is revelation

Answer 1

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

Question 2

how does revelation link to the bible

Answer 2

for christians, the bible is the divinely inspired record of that revelation

Question 3

what do the two testaments in the bible indicate

Answer 3

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

Question 4

what is the most accepted explanation of revealed theology

Answer 4

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

Question 5

what is the final and full revelation of God

Answer 5

Jesus

Question 6

strengths of revealed threology

Answer 6

actual reference point
helps people to get closer to him
fits idea of personal God

Question 7

weaknesses of revealed theology

Answer 7

disagreements between old and New Testament
difference in interpretations
canon issue

Question 8

what does natural revelation refer to

Answer 8

the human ability to come to a fuller understanding of the nature of God through observing his creation and the use of reason

Question 9

romans

Answer 9

Romans 1:20

‘God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have clearly been seen’

Question 10

what did st Paul teach

Answer 10

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

Question 11

What is an example of natural revelation

Answer 11

the human conscious
‘voice’ telling them when they’ve behaved wrongly - for Christians this is the voice of God
Conscience reveals God’s will

Question 12

what are strengths of natural theology

Answer 12

looks at the good in the world

suggests God’s always present

Question 13

weaknesses of revealed theology

Answer 13

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

Question 14

What does Christian spirituality record

Answer 14

many examples of Mystical experiences

Question 15

what are mystical experiences

Answer 15

personal encounters between a believer and God that transforms the life of the individual

Question 16

who do Christian mystics tend to belong to

Answer 16

Catholic and Orthodox traditions, but not exclusively

Among the most famous are the Spanish mystics: teresa of Avila and John of the Cross

Question 17

what does the mystical experience often involve

Answer 17

a period of meditation during which the person believes they experience a transformative encounter with the divine

Question 18

what it one central element of mysticism experience referred to as
and what is it

Answer 18

illumination
Holy Spirit enlightens mind to a fuller and deeper understanding of
the nature of God and his works

Question 19

what can these experiences not be seen as and why

Answer 19

can’t be seen as a new revelation
revelation reached its fullness in Jesus
rather a deeper understanding granted to the individual mystic

Question 20

How does the Holy Spirit disclose himself - mysticism + 2 e.g.

Answer 20

discloses himself through the passion of Christ

revelation/speaking to Moses through the burning bush

Question 21

what do mystics seek

Answer 21

truth in themselves

Question 22

What do many Christians accept in terms of the bible (interpretation of scripture)

Answer 22

writers made some measure of editorial judgement on what to include and how to communicate the underlying message of each of these books

Question 23

what else may writiers of the bible been influenced by (interpretation of scripture) + e.g.

Answer 23

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

Question 24

What is biblical exegesis (interpretation of scripture)

Answer 24

the work of trying to interpret the text within the context it was written

Question 25

What are the four models of biblical exegesis

Answer 25

literary criticism
form criticism
redaction criticism
historical criticism

Question 26

Literary criticism

Answer 26

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

Question 27

strengths and weaknesses of literary criticism

Answer 27

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

Question 28

form criticism

Answer 28

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

Question 29

strengths and weaknesses of form criticism

Answer 29

letters are more likely to be factual

doesn’t present disagreement about form’s meaning

Question 30

redaction criticism

Answer 30

(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

Question 31

strengths and weaknesses of redaction criticism

Answer 31

allows for a deeper meaning

bias - could negatively impact other groups e.g. Jews

Question 32

historical criticism

Answer 32

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

Question 33

strengths and weaknesses of historical criticism

Answer 33

non-faith based evidence for contextualising it

could backfire, fail to back something up/bias

Question 34

Strength of biblical exegesis to do with modern thinking

Answer 34

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

Question 35

Strength of biblical exegesis to do with the oppressed

Answer 35

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

Question 36

Strength of biblical exegesis to do with issues

Answer 36

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

Question 37

Weakness of biblical exegesis to do with authority

Answer 37

can undermine Bible’s authority

we see human authorship without divine inspiration

Question 38

Weakness of biblical exegesis to do with Rudolf Bultmann

Answer 38

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

Question 39

Weakness of biblical exegesis to do with interpretation

Answer 39

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