Concepts Flashcards
Prolegomena
In theology, the debate over where theology should start - in greek: forewords - things that should be said before beginning the study of theology itself
Revelation
The Christian notion that God chooses to be known and makes this possible through self-disclosure in nature and human history
Rule of Faith
There is a center and a circumference to scripture that has to be considered in its interpretation
Special Revelation
Special Revelation - Word of God
Without the special revelation (Jesus), the general revelation (nature) is confused, incoherent, and incomplete
Infallibility
Infallibility: will not fail / trustworthy
there is no possibility of inaccuracy of any kind
The infallible truth of Scripture is not self-evident, the doctrine or message of scripture, which is infallible and inerrant, is hidden in the historical and cultural witness of the biblical writers
Sola Scriptura
“By scripture alone” - slogan of the Protestant reformers - scripture was the sole necessary and sufficient source of Christian theology
Analogy
How can we speak about God without reducing God to the human level? - “the principle of analogy” - the fact that God created the world points to a fundamental “analogy of being” between God and the world. Continuity between God and the world - for this reason, can use analogies for God
Apocrypha
Group of debated texts between Catholic and Protestant Theologians = apocryphal or deutero-canoncial
Typology
Typology is about the correspondence between the events, institutions, and the persons of the OT and the NT - interpreting the NT as representing the fulfillment of a similar situation recorded or prophesied in the OT.
Biblical Theology
The ultimate source of Christian theology is the Bible
Systematic Theology
The systematic organization of theology - prime concern is to present a clear and ordered overview of the main themes of the Christian faith - organized on the basis of presuppositions about method
Pastoral Theology
Strong pastoral and practical dimension to Christian theology - offering models for transformative action - theology finds its true expression in pastoral care and the nurture of souls
Natural Theology
The manner and extent to which God may be know through the natural order - without divine guidance or revelation
Perspicuity of Scripture
The clarity of Scripture - those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that the unlearned may attain a sufficient understanding of them
Inerrancy
The Bible is without error or fault in all its teaching.
Inerrancy in the biblical sense means unswerving fidelity to truth
Metaphor
A way of speaking about one thing in terms which are suggestive of another - where analogies are appropriate, metaphors involve a sense of surprise or initial incredulity
Tradition
From Latin term “traditio” meaning handing over, down, or on - both the action of passing teachings on to others - and to the body of teachings passed on in this manner
Literal Sense
A means of interpreting scripture - when the text is taken at face value
Historical Theology
Aims to explore the historical situations within which theological ideas developed or were specifically formulated. It aims to lay bare the connection between context and theology
Philosophical Theology
Concerned with questions that have intrigued humanity for all time - questions asked both in and outside of the Christian community - it serves to clarify philosophical ideas in theology
General Revelation
God’s revelation through nature, that is generally observable to all
Rule of Love
The major theme of scripture is that God loves us - need to interpret scripture in light of this rule
Inspiration
the divine election and guidance of the biblical prophets for the express purpose of ensuring the trustworthiness and efficacy of their witness through the ages
Canon
During the Patristic period - “fixing the canon” - the canon of scripture - Canon = rule or norm
Accommodation
Adjusting or adapting to meet the needs of the situation and the human ability to comprehend it - God accommodates to the capacities of the human mind and heart - knows the limitations of the human audience, and speaks accordingly
Hermeneutics
The principles underlying the interpretation, or exegesis, of a text, particularly of scripture, and particularly in relation to its present-day application
Allegory
An understanding of how biblical texts are to be interpreted which sees certain biblical images as possessing deep, spiritual meanings which can be uncovered by their interpreters
Economic Trinity
The manner in which the Trinity is made known know within the economy of salvation - in the historical process itself - how God has ordered salvation
(grounded in God’s self-revelation within history)
Subordinationism
a Trinitarian doctrine wherein the Son is subordinate to the Father. It posits a hierarchical ranking of the persons of the Social Trinity, implying ontological subordination of the persons of the Son and the Holy Spirit
Theopaschitism
Suffering of God - “One of the trinity was crucified”
Monarchianism
A single principle authority - God as one unified person
Homoiousios
“Of similar substance” versus what is now doctrinally agreed upon: Jesus is Homoousios with the Father - “of the same substance”
Social Trinity
Popularized by Jurgen Moltmann - there is no fixed order in the trinity - God as a union of three divine persons - distinct but related subjects - God as mutually loving, interacting, and sustaining society - allows to develop a theory of society
Unitarianism
The belief in a single God, not divided into any aspects, particularly when presented as a contrast to Christian trinitarianism.
Aquinas’ Five Ways
His “five ways” represents five lines of argument in support of the existence of God - each draws on some aspect of the world which “points” to the existence of its creator - can point to the existence of God from general human experience of the world