Christianity: Beliefs Flashcards
What does ‘omnipotent’ mean?
All-powerful: a word used to describe God
What does ‘omniscient’ mean?
All-knowing: a word used to describe God
What does ‘omnibenevolent’ mean?
All-loving: a word used to describe God
What type of unconditional love is God associated with in Christianity?
Agape
What is the Problem of Evil?
The question of how it is possible for an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God to exist in a world full of suffering.
How do Christians respond to the problem of evil?
Blame human free will for suffering, or say that suffering serves a greater purpose beyond our understanding
Which sacred source explains the Oneness of God and the three parts of the Trinity?
The Nicene Creed
What are the three parts of the Trinity?
Father, Son, Holy Spirit
What qualities are associated with the Father in the Trinity?
The creator of all things in Heaven and Earth; abides in Heaven
What qualities are associated with the Son in the Trinity?
God revealed himself through Jesus Christ; was there from the creation as the Word; offers salvation
What qualities are associated with the Holy Spirit in the Trinity?
Active presence of God in the world; inspires holy people; often represented by a dove
What is a denomination?
A branch of Christianity, for example Anglicanism, Roman Catholicism, or the various Orthodox churches.
What is Catholicism?
The tradition within the Christian Church which is led by the Pope; also called the Roman Catholic Church.
What are Protestants?
Christians/denominations in which authority is generally based on the Bible, rather than Church tradition/teaching. (eg Anglican, Methodist, Baptist).
What is the Incarnation?
‘God becoming flesh’, for Christians this refers to the birth of Jesus as the incarnation of God, being both fully divine and fully human.
What is the first book of the Bible, in which the creation story is found?
Genesis
What does Genesis say about creation?
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”
How is God portrayed in Genesis?
As a spirit hovering over waters
Which Latin term meaning ‘creation from nothing’ describes the way God creates the world in Genesis?
Creatio ex nihilo
What is said in the Book of John about creation?
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
Who does the Word represent in the Book of John?
Jesus
What is creationism?
The belief that God created the world according to the accounts in Genesis. Creationists believe the Earth was created in 6 days.
What is ‘allegorical’?
A means of reading the Bible in a non-literal way, not as absolute fact but for deeper meaning. E.g. assuming the ‘days’ in Genesis represent hundreds of years
What is literalism?
A way of reading the Bible as the exact words of God, rather than symbolically as a more representative of analogical text.
What is found in the Gospels?
The stories of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection