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1
Q

Prolegomena

A

In theology, the debate over where theology should start - in greek: forewords - things that should be said before beginning the study of theology itself

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2
Q

Revelation

A

The Christian notion that God chooses to be known and makes this possible through self-disclosure in nature and human history

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3
Q

Rule of Faith

A

There is a center and a circumference to scripture that has to be considered in its interpretation

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4
Q

Special Revelation

A

Special Revelation - Word of God
Without the special revelation (Jesus), the general revelation (nature) is confused, incoherent, and incomplete

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5
Q

Infallibility

A

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

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6
Q

Sola Scriptura

A

“By scripture alone” - slogan of the Protestant reformers - scripture was the sole necessary and sufficient source of Christian theology

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7
Q

Analogy

A

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

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8
Q

Apocrypha

A

Group of debated texts between Catholic and Protestant Theologians = apocryphal or deutero-canoncial

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9
Q

Typology

A

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.

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10
Q

Biblical Theology

A

The ultimate source of Christian theology is the Bible

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11
Q

Systematic Theology

A

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

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12
Q

Pastoral Theology

A

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

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13
Q

Natural Theology

A

The manner and extent to which God may be know through the natural order - without divine guidance or revelation

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14
Q

Perspicuity of Scripture

A

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

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15
Q

Inerrancy

A

The Bible is without error or fault in all its teaching.
Inerrancy in the biblical sense means unswerving fidelity to truth

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16
Q

Metaphor

A

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

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17
Q

Tradition

A

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

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18
Q

Literal Sense

A

A means of interpreting scripture - when the text is taken at face value

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19
Q

Historical Theology

A

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

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20
Q

Philosophical Theology

A

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

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21
Q

General Revelation

A

God’s revelation through nature, that is generally observable to all

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22
Q

Rule of Love

A

The major theme of scripture is that God loves us - need to interpret scripture in light of this rule

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23
Q

Inspiration

A

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

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24
Q

Canon

A

During the Patristic period - “fixing the canon” - the canon of scripture - Canon = rule or norm

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25
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
26
Hermeneutics
The principles underlying the interpretation, or exegesis, of a text, particularly of scripture, and particularly in relation to its present-day application
27
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
28
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)
29
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
30
Theopaschitism
Suffering of God - “One of the trinity was crucified”
31
Monarchianism
A single principle authority - God as one unified person
32
Homoiousios
“Of similar substance” versus what is now doctrinally agreed upon: Jesus is Homoousios with the Father - “of the same substance”
33
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
34
Unitarianism
The belief in a single God, not divided into any aspects, particularly when presented as a contrast to Christian trinitarianism.
35
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
36
Omnipotence
(unlimited power) Once God has opted to do certain things, or to behave in a certain manner, then other possibilities are excluded. God cannot do anything that is logically impossible or inconsistent with God’s nature
37
Omniscience
The quality of knowing everything - an attribute peculiar to God - The capacity to know everything.
38
Impassibility
To be perfect is to be unchanging and self-sufficient. It is to therefore impossible for such a perfect being to be affected or changed by anything outside itself
39
Omnicausality
Being the cause of everything
40
Agape vs Eros
Agape - Self sacrificial love, Eros - romantic, physical love
41
Immanent (or Ontological) Trinity
An attempt to formulate the Godhead outside the limiting conditions of time and space - what is known about the economic trinity corresponds to who God is (grounded in God’s eternal nature)
42
Modalism
In a defense of the absolute unity of God, heresy emerged that claimed there was no difference between the persons of the trinity, other than the appearance and chronological location between the entities - one God, different modes - “persons” meant to represent different actions of one God
43
Perichoresis
A term related to the doctrine of the Trinity - all three persons of the trinity mutually share in the life of the others, so that none is isolated or detached from the actions of the other
44
Patripassianism
A theological heresy focusing on the belief that the Father suffered as the Son - the suffering of Christ on the cross is to be regarded as the suffering of the Father - only distinction with Godhead was a succession of modes or operations - different modes of the same basic divine entity
45
Homoousios
Jesus is Homoousios with the Father - “of the same substance”
46
Sabellianism
An early trinitarian heresy which treated the three person of the Trinity as different historical manifestations of the one God. It is generally regarded as a form of modalism
47
Ontological Argument
A term used to refer to the type of argument for the existence of God - Anselm - claims that as God is greater than any other being that is conceivable, God must be greater than any being who exists only as an idea, so God must exist in reality
48
Psychological Analogies
Analogy to describe the triune life - based on the view of personhood as constituted by differentiated but inseparable activities of the self. To be a person is to be a self-conscious subject possessing the intertwined faculties of memory, understanding, and will.
49
Via negativa
Determining God’s attributes by negative knowledge of God - that states what God is not be excluding from God all that is thought to be imperfect in the existence of creatures
50
God’s Attributes (10)
Best interpreted in pairs: grace and holiness, constancy of purpose and new and changing actions, vulnerable yet unconquerable, power and love, wisdom and patience
51
Omnipresence
God is present everywhere but everywhere freely present. God is present when and where and how God please. God is present to all creatures and in all events, but not in the same way.
52
Immutability
fundamental theological concept that highlights the unchanging nature of God.
53
Creation ex nihilo
Everything is created by God - no pre-existent matter - Creation “out of nothing”
54
God / world relation (8)
How God relates to the world - beliefs include: pantheism, atheism, deism, agnosticism, polytheism, classical theism, panentheism, and trinitarian interactionist
55
Pantheism
The universe has no independent existence - The universe and the God are the same - All things are God and God are all things
56
Dualism
The idea that there is a good realm of the invisible and spiritual, and an evil realm of the visible and material
57
Polytheism
Multiple gods - In our culture - we worship money as another God - Capable of self transcendence
58
Interactionism
a Christian interpretation of the Trinity as consisting of three persons in a loving relationship, which reflects a model for human relationships.
59
Contingent creation
Creation is not necessary, but is contingent, then how can a necessary God make something unnecessary?
60
Theodicy
Refers to a theoretical justification of the goodness of God in the face of the presence of evil in the world
61
Historical evil
Evil throughout history, particular that prompts the question of God’s sovereignty and providence
62
Saga
Karl Barth - historical basis, but not literal Adam and Eve- There were humans, who fell - So not literal Adam and Eve - but based on actual history
63
Determinism
Finding purpose and joy in self-determination, as opposed to in relationship with God and one another
64
Continuing creation
God's providence is the working of his power to uphold, guide, and care for his creation. Some theologians have described this as a continual creation, as opposed to notions that God created the world and then stepped back from it.
65
Atheism
The belief that there is no God
66
Deism
The term is often used to refer to a view of God which recognizes the divine creatorship yet which rejects the notion of a continuing divine involvement in the world God is external to the universe and can’t react with it - God created the universe, but is not involved after it gets going
67
Panentheism
Created in reaction to classical theism - “Mother nature” - All things are in God and in God are all things - God and the world are interdependent
68
Theism
Belief in a personal God as creator and ruler of the world. God is absolute and perfect
69
Preservation
God preserves the whole creation and maintains its existence
70
Providence
God's providence is the working of his power to uphold, guide, and care for his creation. Some theologians have described this as a continual creation, as opposed to notions that God created the world and then stepped back from it.
71
Natural evil
Refers to injury and suffering caused by diseases, accidents, earthquakes, fires, and floods
72
Interdependence of creation
A part of a doctrine of creation: creaturehood means radical coexistence, mutual interdependence, rather than solitary or monarchic existence - coexistence as the basic form of humanity - The world was created by God for life together
73
Myth
Not a made up story, but a poetic story depicting universal truths
74
Traducianism
How is sin passed on? Traduciansim: By the parents - passed onto kids
75
Original righteousness
Relating to the Edenic state of sinlessness. Adam and Eve were created without sin, and this original righteousness meant that a number of conditions that are now "natural" did not apply.
76
Bondage of the will
The Nature of Sin - Bondage of the will - still free to make decisions, but will make evil / bad decisions
77
Total depravity (3)
(1) all people are sinners, (2) every dimension of the human self is corrupted by sin, (3) the bondage of the will is total, a sinful person cannot turn from self and the world to God through their own efforts Total and Universal Corruption
78
Semi-pelagianism
A distinction is made between the beginning of faith and the increase of faith. The latter half – growing in faith – is the work of God, while the beginning of faith is an act of free will, with grace supervening only later.
79
Natural freedom
Natural freedom refers to the state of being free from external constraints, allowing individuals to act according to their own will and instincts, as envisioned in the context of human beings existing in a pre-societal state
80
Social gospel
A movement that applies Christian values to social problems such as poverty, inequality, and war.
81
Imago Dei
Human beings are created in the image of God - human nature is constituted in such a way that there is an analog with the being of God Not the individual human being is the image of God - but only in relationship with God and others do we image God
82
Original sin
Once sin happened, humanity was forever changed - Sins of the world precede children, no child is born into an environment free from sin
83
Actual sin
Sin in its basic form form is living life in terms of creation with no reference to God - it is aversion to God and conversion to the created order
84
Common grace
Referring to the grace of God that is either common to all humankind, or common to everyone within a particular sphere of influence
85
Pelagianism
An understanding of how humans are able to merit their salvation which is diametrically opposed to that of Augustine, placing considerable emphasis upon the role of human works and playing down the idea of divine grace
86
Soul and body
No body / soul dualism - Crept into Christian theology through greco-roman philosophy- It makes humanity not care about the world / material / body - Which is in contrast to God’s eschatological vision of the resurrection of the body and the New Jerusalem
87
Christian liberty
Christian liberty is not about the freedom to be able to choose between two options, but about being formed by God to be a kind of person who chooses good things
88
Noetic impairment
Because of sin, people's ability to think and reason is clouded. The result is an impairment of the intellect that fosters doubt, skepticism, and unbelief concerning the things of God.

Doctrine (2 decks)

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