Catholic Christianity: Sources of Wisdom and Authority Flashcards
To help learn the content from the sources of wisdom and authority part of the Catholic Christianity section.
What do Catholics believe about inspiration and revelation from the Bible?
- Catholics believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God.
- God inspired people to write the Bible - not everything is historically or literally accurate.
- Catholics must determine what is true and what is a metaphor.
- All Christians should be guided by the teachings of the Bible.
What are the two main parts of the Bible?
- The Old Testament
- The New Testament
What can be found in the Old Testament?
- The laws (Torah) - The first five books of the OT. They tell the story of how the Jewish people became God’s chosen race and how they were told to live.
- Historical books
- Wisdom
- Prophets
What can be found in the New Testament?
- It is based on the life and teachings of Jesus and his apostles.
- The Gospels
- The Acts of the Apostles
- The Letters
- The Book of Revelation
What are the Origins of the Bible?
- It took about 350 years for the books in the Bible to be accepted as authentic records of Christian belief.
- For a book to be accepted in the NT it had to:
a. be accepted by all Christians
b. the work had to go back to the apostles
c. have an early written date
d. agree with other Christian beliefs.
What do Other Christians (Creationists/Funamentalists) believe about the Bible?
- It is the literal word of God.
- Everything is factually correct.
- The Holy Spirit gave the Bible and no one should question anything in it because it comes from God.
- Where there appear to be contradictions this is because people do not have enough understanding yet.
What do Catholics believe about the Bible and the story of Genesis?
- Genesis is a myth.
- Lots of stories in the Bible are metaphors (they have hidden meanings)
- Genesis is not literally true, although it has great truths.
- It shows us that God is omnipotent and the creator.
What do Jews believe about the Torah?
- The Torah is the first 5 books of the OT and are the holiest and most important part of scripture for Jews.
- Orthodox Jews believe that the Torah was given to Moses by God and must be taken literally.
- Reform Jews say that the Torah doesn’t need to be taken literally and sometimes the rules have to be adapted for modern life.
What is the Magisterium?
- It means ‘teaching authority’
- The Pope and the bishops safeguard the Church’s teaching on behalf of everyone.
- It is their responsibility to ensure the teaching of Jesus is protected
- They make decisions and statements about faith and morality for the Catholic community – they can comment on things previously not mentioned in the Bible.
- Catholics believe they are guided by the Holy Spirit.
- As the Pope is guided by the Holy Spirit, Catholics believe he is infallible.
What is Ordinary Magisterium?
- The everyday teaching of the Church.
- Bishops preach homilies and write letters to their diocese giving them instructions.
- The Pope may write a letter called an encyclical. Such as Laudato Si.
What is Extraordinary Magisterium?
- These are times when the teaching authority of the Church is used.
- This is rare.
- It can be split into two ways:
1. Conciliar
2. Pontifical
What is Pontifical Magisterium?
- The Pope under the guidance of the Holy Spirit is infallible when speaking ex cathedra.
- This is when the Pope’s declare what the Church now thinks – it is rarely used.
- It was most recently used to announce the Immaculate Conception and the assumption of Mary.
What is Conciliar Magesterium?
- This is when the Pope calls together all he bishops to settle a problem or explore new questions facing the church.
- There have been 21 councils.
- The last council was Vatican II in the 60s.
What is the job of Parish priests?
- Charged with the emotional and spiritual care of an area
- They lead daily Mass and provide sacraments
What is the job of Bishops?
- They are responsible for a diocese and all the priests, deacons and the laity within it.
- They also give the sacrament of Holy Orders.
What is the job of Archbishops?
- More senior than bishops
- In charge of an archdiocese
What is the job of Cardinals?
- A college of bishops each of whom is nominated by the Pope.
- They elect future Popes.