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Religious Studies > Christianity: God > Flashcards

Christianity: God Flashcards

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1
Q

What is Ethical Monotheism?

A

The belief of ethical and right conduct alongside the worship of one God. Therefore, if you follow God/Jesus’ teachings and believe in one God, you can achieve salvation.

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2
Q

Scriptural Evidence for Monotheism (3 quotes)

A
  • Nicene Creed (first line) –> “We believe in One God, the Father, the Almighty…”
  • Isaiah 43:10 –> “Before me no God was formed, nor shall there be any after me…”
  • Mark 12 (when Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is) –> “The first is ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One, and you shall love the Lord God with all your heart…’”
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3
Q

What is the nature of God? (4 things)

A
  • Omnipotent
  • Creator
  • Controller/Sustainer of the Universe
  • Transcendent and Unknowable
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4
Q

Evidence for God’s Omnipotence (3 things)

A
  • Matthew 19:26 –> “With God, all things are possible.”
  • Nicene Creed –> “We believe in One God, the Father, the Almighty, of all that is seen and unseen.”
  • Some believe God can only do logically possible things. This preserves God as omnipotent in the face of the Problem of Evil, for example.
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5
Q

What is Savage’s Paradox?

A

Savage asked “Can God create a rock so big that even He can’t lift it?”
If He can, it means the rock cannot be lifted, reducing His power.
If He can’t, it means He cannot create the rock in the first place, again reducing His power.

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6
Q

What is the difference between ‘creatio ex deo’ and ‘creatio ex nihilo’?

A

‘Creatio ex deo’ refers to God creating from his own being - less widely believed
‘Creatio ex nihilo’ refers to God creating from nothing - more accepted as it agrees with God’s transcendency and the common view of Genesis

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7
Q

What does the Process Theology view of Genesis 1 imply about God as the Creator?

A

The more likely translation of Genesis 1 is from Hebrew to English (as opposed to NIV). It says “In the beginning…the earth being without form and void” with implies that the earth was already in existence and God simply ordered the matter.
This makes God creative, not creator.

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8
Q

Scriptural Evidence for God as the Controller/Sustainer (3 quotes)

A
  • Psalm 104:5 –> God…set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be shaken”
  • The Decalogue (for example) provides a code to live by, so God sustains human morality through His teachings
  • Corinthians 8:6 –> Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live…”
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9
Q

What is Theological Determinism?

A

Humans do not have free will because of God’s omniscience (which logically follows from omnipotence). God knows the past, present and future, so the flow of time for humans is predetermined and fixed.

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10
Q

What was Aquinas’ view of God’s omniscience?

A

God is timeless and transcendent, so can see all outcomes of all possible events. However, although God has the power to intervene, he chooses not to to preserve free will.

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11
Q

Scriptural Evidence for God’s Transcendence/Unknowability (2 quotes)

A
  • Isaiah 55:8-9 –> “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways….”
  • Exodus 3:13 –> God says “I am that I am” in response to Moses’ questions
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12
Q

What is ‘aseity’?

A

The Roman Catholic idea that God is uncreated, and existence is fundamentally part of His essence.

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13
Q

What does ‘Perichoresis’ mean? Why is it important?

A

Greek for ‘mutual indwelling’
This means that each of the persons of the Trinity are ‘in’ each other (Godhead) but are distinct from each other. This is important as it means that no one part of the Trinity is reduced in any way - they all contain the ‘essence’ of God.

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14
Q

How are each of the persons of the Trinity experienced in the world?

A

God the Father - the creator of all the universe
God the Son (Jesus) - died on the cross to atone for the sins of humanity
The Holy Spirit - acts as the immanent ‘giver of life’ in the world today

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15
Q

Scriptural Evidence for the Doctrine of the Trinity (3 quotes)

A
  • Matthew 28:19 –> “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
  • The Nicene Creed –> “We believe in One God, the Father…We believe in One Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God…We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life…”
  • John 14:9-10 –> “He who has seen me has seen the Father…I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”
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16
Q

Give three reasons why Trinitarian Doctrine is important today.

A
  1. It brings together the beliefs surrounding atonement and redemption –> The Father sent the Son to atone for humanity’s sins; the Son died on the cross as part of that atonement; the Holy Spirit renewed the hope of eternal life for humanity through the resurrection of Jesus
  2. It allows for a personal relationship with God –> The concept of the Trinity means God can be both transcendent and immanent. The Godhead is the transcendent entity, and the Father, Son and Holy Spirits are the parts that interact with and can be known by humanity
  3. It gives a model of personhood –> The love between the persons of the Trinity is thought to influence human relationships as humans are made in the image of God. Moltmann said that the Trinity exists ‘in a community of mutual self-giving and receiving love’
17
Q

What is the direct quotation from John 10:30?

A

“I and the Father are One” (said by Jesus)

18
Q

What is the direct quotation from 1 Corinthians 8:6?

A

“Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”

19
Q

What are the two differing interpretations of John 10:30?

A
  • ‘One’ could mean that Jesus is of the same essence as God. In other words, they have unity as two parts of the Trinity.
  • ‘One’ could mean that God and Jesus have the same purpose/goal to work for humanity. This means Jesus would likely not be the actual Son of God, just an extraordinary human.
20
Q

What are the two differing interpretations of 1 Corinthians 8:6

A
  • The rhythm is compared by some to the Shema prayer, so they believe that St Paul was equating Jesus to God
  • The use of ‘through’ for Jesus’ part of this passage suggests to some that Jesus was nothing more than God’s agent on earth, not His divine Son.
21
Q

Why does Jesus have to be THE Son of God for Christians?

A
  • It fits with his descriptions in scripture –> he performed miracles, he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven according to the gospels.
  • If Jesus was simply a prophet (as he is in Islam) it would render his sacrifice - and large parts of Christianity that rest on it - meaningless.
  • Jesus must be 100% divine AND 100% human as it was important that he could die so he could atone for the Original Sin. It also means he is a more personal and relatable figure.
22
Q

Give three examples of how God is anthropomorphised in the Bible.

A
  1. Genesis 3:8 –> “And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day…”
  2. Use of male pronouns and titles (e.g. He/Him/Lord)
  3. The Incarnation of Jesus as a human - also makes God a father
23
Q

How is God shown as ‘King’ in the Old and New Testament?

A

Old Testament: Connotations of absolute power
- Isaiah 6:1-5 –> “…for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts”
- The Enthronement Psalms e.g. “The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice”
New Testament: Connotations of a benevolent ruler
- Jesus was the Messiah (meaning ‘king’) but he was not a warrior; he was responsible for creating a new relationship between humans and God
- Matthew 3:2 –> God is referred to as the King of the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’

24
Q

What is the difference between the portrayal of God as Father in the Old Testament and New Testament?

A

Old Testament: God is seen in a more patriarchal way as he sets out moral rules and exacts punishments for those who disobey them. For example, he banishes Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden after they eat from the Forbidden Tree.
- Malachi 1:6 –> A son honours his father…If I am your father, where is the honour due me?”
New Testament: God becomes the ‘Father’ automatically through Jesus being incarnated as the ‘Son’. However, He is seen as a father figure as both the father of Jesus and the creator of the universe.
- The Lord’s Prayer –> “OUR Father” - Christians who say this can share in the Father/Son relationship that Jesus and God have.
- Jesus himself used “Abba” to refer to God, which has more personal implications

25
Q

How is God shown to be loving/omnibenevolent in the Bible? (4 things)

A
  • John 3:16 –> “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
  • God’s covenant with Israel to rain down blessing upon them if they followed the Decalogue
  • The Holy Spirit pours love into the hearts of all humans - St Paul calls it the ‘greatest gift’ of the Spirit
  • John 4:8 –> “He who does not know love does not know God, for God is Love…”
26
Q

What is the difference between ‘hesed’ and ‘agape’?

A

‘Hesed’ means ‘steadfast love’ - used in the Old Testament to show God’s commitment to the covenant.
‘Agape’ means ‘selfless love’ - referred to often by Jesus and shows God’s generous, unconditional love for humanity.

27
Q

Give two strengths of anthropomorphic language for God

A
  • Makes God relatable, which allows for a personal relationship
  • The Trinity means that God can be described in this way as the persons are immanent
  • Analogous language makes God easier to comprehend without reducing Him as the analogies are not literal
28
Q

Give two weaknesses of anthropomorphic language for God

A
  • Only male pronouns/titles are used, which means that women and NB people cannot find a personal connection with God as easily
  • Titles such as ‘King’ don’t work to personalise God as a king is above everyone - level of ‘otherness’ to it
  • People view ‘Fathers’ and ‘Kings’ in different ways, so these descriptions may be more negative than positive for some.
29
Q

Which Church has introduced gender-neutral language in their services?

A

The Swedish Lutheran Church
They have replaced “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” with “In God the Trinity’s name”

30
Q

Give two reasons why the Church should use gender-neutral language

A
  • Christianity should reflect modern advances in gender conversations
  • God is bigger than human concepts of gender –>Isaiah - “I am that I am”
  • Gender-neutrality is more accessible for everyone
31
Q

Give two reasons why the Church should NOT use gender-neutral language

A
  • Changing ancient traditions will change Christian identity
  • Some argue the change would undermine Christian liturgy and services
  • Jesus himself called God ‘Father’ and ‘Lord’
32
Q

What is Daphne Hampson’s view on gendered language for God?

A

Feminist critique of anthropomorphic language: “I have concluded that fundamental to the Abrahamic religions is the will to subvert women and establish men as the norm. This is to say that, in so far as that is the case, these religions are a form of fascism.”
- There is no evidence that Jesus had any views in support of female equality in spite of his kindness towards women
- Many women in the Bible are unnamed, and are only referred to in relation to men
- Feminist analysis of language of Christian prayer implies that God has to be anthropomorphised to interact in prayer and be personal, but Hampson does not believe this should be the case.

33
Q

Religious references to the feminine attributes of God (2 things)

A
  • Meister Eckhart (mystic) –> Referred to God lying on a maternity bed and giving birth
  • Mother Julian of Norwich (mystic) –> “As truly as God is our Father, so truly is God our Mother”
34
Q

Who are the main scholars associated with Process Theology?

A

A. N. Whitehead and David Griffin

35
Q

What is Griffin’s view of the universe in relation to God?

A
  • Griffin believes that God and the universe exist panentheistically, meaning that God is in the universe, and the universe is in God.
  • Therefore, God can feel the experiences we have in the universe, making Him more personal.
36
Q

Why does Griffin reject the idea of God as the Creator?

A
  • The Hebrew-English translation of the Bible suggests that God is merely creative as it says “the earth BEING without form and void” - present participle implies the earth already existed
  • Griffin suggests that God and the universe are both eternal and uncreated, so God did not make the universe ‘creatio ex nihilo’.
  • Instead, God persuaded the existing chaotic matter into order and complexity, meaning he is only CREATIVE.
37
Q

Why does Griffin reject God’s omnipotence?

A
  • God cannot control matter, only influence and persuade it into an ordered state.
  • Matter can resist this influence, which explains why it has taken 13.7 billion years for matter to be organised to this degree
  • Furthermore, humans have been granted some power of creativity, so God cannot be omnipotent
38
Q

Give two or more advantages of the Process Theology view of God

A
  • Supported by quantum physics, and theories of the Big Bang and Evolution
  • Supported by the Hebrew-English translation of Genesis
  • Provides an explanation for the Problem of Evil
39
Q

Give at least two weaknesses of the Process Theology view of God

A
  • Does not fit with the common interpretations of Christian scripture e.g. ‘creatio ex nihilo’ and “Nothing is impossible with God.”
  • A God who is only potent is not worthy of worship for many people

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