Creation Flashcards
The creation of Adam
Painted 1508 by michaelangelo. Adam’s depicted as the perfect man, God is transcendent
Miere’s Mosaic
Streaks of light (“let there be light”), circle (everlasting), light goes all over (omnipotent), white light (God’s creation is pure?), cloud represents heaven, right hand (Jesus sits at the right hand of the father), Reducing God to human?
Creation of Adam: Adam and God
Both look powerful and muscular and lying in similar positions. Adam isn’t fully alive - he’s waiting for God to bring him life. Shows humanity depends on God for life.
Creation of Adam: God
God looks old, shows he’s eternal and Adam isn’t. Slightly pink robe- not white (pure). Could possibly suggest God isn’t truly pure: sent ten plagues and having Abraham almost kill his son.
Creation of Adam: big red cloth
Red is symbol of the heart- Gods in our heart. Also symbol of the lungs. Reminiscent of when God breathed life into Adam.
Looks like a brain. God gives us the knowledge we seek as well as God’s teachings shaping how we think, feel, what is right and wrong.
Creation of Adam: Adam
Adam is shown as a perfect man. Links to teaching in Genesis when God made everything “very good”. Also shows God bringing humanity to life, not any other species. Shows humans are unique and specifically close to God.
Creation of Adam: Adam is naked…
…but God isn’t. Reflects teaching in Genesis that Adam and Eve ate the apple, opened their eyes and saw they were naked and clothed themselves. Supports notion of omniscient God as God is clothed, suggesting he knows everything already.
Creation of Adam: angels
God’s being carried by angels- shows he’s transcendent (beyond life on earth and outside the universe)
Creation of Adam: reaching
God and Adam reach out for eachother- may show they both want a close relationship. But, Adam doesn’t try as hard as God- may show he is lazy and disobedient (The Fall) or is weaker than God and doesn’t have the strength to reach further.
Creation of Adam: counter arguements
Genesis 2:7 says God gave Adam life through breathing into him, not touching him. God and Adam are nearly the same size suggesting that they’re equal which is against catholic teaching.
Hand of God: Light
Steaks of Light- God said “let there be light” in Genesis 1. The light reaches all around showing God’s omnipotence and how far creation reaches.
Hand of God: circle around the edge
Could represent God’s everlasting power and existence as circles have no begining nor end. Could also be Jesus’ crown of thorns- Meiere suggesting that Jesus’ death was known of at the begining of time.
Hand of God: God’s Hand
Not fully outstretched- God’s involved but not fully showing his transcendence. His hand is bigger than the cloud, showing his power.
Hand of God: how God’s presented
A greater sense of God as a creator than Michaelangelo’s as it looks as though God is using less effort. God is infinite and great so it is impossible to know what he looks like.
Hand of God: counter arguements
God having a hand still shows him as a human, or human like, just in a bigger form, which shows him as less superior to man.
Transcendent
Beyond and outside the universe. God created the world without much effort. “Let there be light” he created light because he felt like it.
Days of creation
- Day and night
- Sky
- Earth, sea and plants
- Sun, moon, stars
- Fish and birds
- Animals and humans
- Rest
Genesis 1
Creation of the universe
Genesis 2
Creation of humans
Catholic Church’s beliefs on Genesis story
Is accepted as a myth to help people understand why we exist. The Church somewhat believes that God created the big bang and guided evolution.
Omnipotent
All powerful. Is able to create everything from nothing. “God created humankind in his image”.
Creator
God created all existence. “Let there be light”
Humans share the “spirit of God”
Hebrew word for ‘breath’ is ru’ach, which also translates as spirit. God created the first man by breathing into him.
Free will comes from God
God never stops Adam and Eve from eating the forbidden fruit but tells them not to. Free will results in them turning away from God. There were consequences but nothing physically stopping them.
Sanctity of life
Belief that all life is holy because it comes from God.
Genesis 1, God blesses humans after he creates them meaning humans are holy. Every stage of life must be treated with care and respect.
Human Dignity
Belief that all humans are worthy of respect. God created humans “in his own image” meaning we all share in the qualities of God meaning we must all respect eachothers dignity.
Laudato Si quote
“A fragile world, entrusted by God to human care, challenges us to devise intelligent ways of directing, developing and limiting our power”
-Pope Francis
Stewardship quote
“The lord put Adam in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it.”
Stewardship
A duty to look after the environment. Genesis 1, Adam and Eve told to “subdue” the earth and “have dominion” over all life. Suggests we were given authority and power.
Second Vatican council
Series of meetings of the magisterium from 1962-69 to discuss important issues and update catholic teachings. Pope John XXIII spoke of opening the windows of the vatican to let in fresh air.
Second Vatican Council: Religion Vs Science
Catholic teaching is that the theory of evolution and the big bang can be accepted as HOW we exist and religion as being WHY. “One should carefully investigate the meaning the writers intended”. Science and religion support eachother in creating a fuller picture of the universe.
Big Bang theory
Claims that the universe began by expanding from a single particle.
Theory of evolution
Is that animals gain adaptations to better suit their environments over millions of year.
Fundamentalists/literalists
Don’t accept that creation stories are myth and take every word of the bible as absolute truth and as the word of God. They reject the big bang theory and evolution- believe the world was created in six days as described in Genesis.
Natural law
Our understanding of right and wrong comes from human nature rather than from society. God made all humans “in his image”, therefore we share in Gods goodness.
Two basic natural laws
“Do good and avoid evil”
“Protect and preserve life”
Examples of natural law in modern life
Young children recognising sadness
Not comiting assault despite anger
Laudato Si: environment quote
“The world is a gift which we have freely recieved and must share with others”
We must look after the Earth
How individuals can be good stewards
Take fewer flights
Go car free or use an electric car
Buy energy efficient products
Switch from gas heating to an electric heat pump
Insulate homes properly
How catholics can help the environment locally
Reduce the amount of unnecessary rubish produced in homes
Recycle more
Use public transport, walk or cycle
Take part in local environment campaigns
How can catholics help the environment nationally
Put pressure on politicians to support laws that protect then environment
Support and buy products from environmentally friendly businesses
Put pressure on companies to follow environmental policies such as replanting trees
How can catholics help the environment globally
Put pressure on Governments to support and implement environmental policies made at UN meetings
Boycott and expose multinational businesses that threaten the planet
Sustainability
Using natural resources at a rate at which they can be replaced
Catholic teaching on natural resources
Should be used carefully to preserve them.
Damaging one element of nature can affect others (interdependence in nature)
Catholics should take action to improve the situation. For example, the vatican has installed solar panels reducing their carbon footprint by 200 tons every year.
CAFOD
Catholic Agency For Overseas Development. Promotes sustainable development goals (SDGs) agreed by UN to be globally reached by 2030
CAFOD supports sustainability by:
Promoting the SDGs
Encouraging people to live more simply and thus use less natural resources
Working with groups like MONLAR in Sri Lanka to use sustainable and inexpensive farming methods
Origins of the Bible
The Bible is the word of God. It’s writers were inspired by the holy spirit and their writings were interpreted by the magisterium to be given to the people. The Bible is a library of different books.
