CHRISTIANITY - GOD Flashcards
Give a quote that demonstrates Christianity is monotheistic
“The Lord is one”
“You shall have no other Gods before me”
“There is one God”
“There is no God but one”
“You alone are God”
What is transcendence?
-to exist beyond / outside space and time
-God is eternal and limitless
-He is omniscient - He can see the past, present and future all at the same time, in one ‘simultaneous present’
-spatio - temporal language is not appropriate for God but we must use it because its all we have
What is the Trinity?
-christian belief that God is one nature in three persons
-tri - unity = three in unity
-Father, Son and Holy Spirit
-Father, omnipotent creator and controller of the universe
-Son, God incarnate and entered world to save humanity. Sacrificed for human salvation via crucifixion
-Holy Spirit, God’s active presence in the world today helping Christians
What does the Nicene Creed 325AD say about the Trinity?
Jesus is ‘consubstantial with the Father’ and that the Holy Spirit ‘proceeds from the Father and the Son’
Give a quote for each third of the Trinity, and the trinity itself
Jesus’ Great Commission - “Make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”
-God the Father - “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth”
-God the Son - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”
-God the Holy Spirit - “The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters”
Explain why Christians believe that God is Personal - that they can relate to him
-God is immanent, he is involved in the world and accessible
-God hears and answers prayers
-The Holy spirit is god’s active presence in the world today, a guide.
-God can also be known through the person of Jesus Christ, who is God incarnate
explain why Christians believe that God is Father
-Patriarchal context of religion, oldest male un society who was responsible for, respected by and had absolute control over the rest of the group.
OLD T - God is ‘Father’ to reflect his omnipotence + control over all things. He created the universe, set behavioural standards, excersises justice
NEW T - God’s fatherly love and care. Jesus describes God as the ‘Father in heaven’ and says followers should pray to ‘Our Father’
Explain why Christians believe that God is King
-monarchy was a familiar concept from most of the biblical period, monarchs had absolute power
-therefore it makes sense that early Christians would’ve understood God’s omnipotence by thinking of him as ‘King’
-God is often depicted as seated on a throne + in a “kingdom of God”
Explain why Christians believe that God is Love
-many quotes. “God is love” “For God so the loved the world that he gave his one and only son”
-God is understood as omnibenevolent
-Jesus, most important commandments are love for God & love for neighbour
-Old Testament, ‘hesed’ = hebrew, steadfast love
New Testament, agape = unconditional love
Give 2 problems with the use of anthropomorphic language to describe God
- anthropomorphic language that describes God in male terms reinforces patriarchy and sexism. Mary Daly - “If God is male then male is God”
-places limitations on God, who is entirely beyond our understanding
-via negativa
Why can Christians view the use of anthropomorphic language to describe God as helpful / important? and why is via negativa criticised?
-helps humans to understand God metaphorically eg as King
-anthropomorphic language is used by Jesus himself, he teaches “Our father” in the Lord’s Prayer. builds a relationship with God
-via negative approach can be criticised, denying any description to God leads to the annihilation of God
Explain the concept of God in process theology
-God didn’t create the universe exnihilo (God is NOT omnipotent)
-God didn’t create everything but ‘fashioned’ pre-existing matter (God is NOT the creator)
-God is powerful but not omnipotent. He cannot control the physical aspect of the universe. God cannot intervene with evil & suffering
