Definition midterm Flashcards
Anachronism
The error of attributing ideas, values, concepts, or ways of thinking from one historical period to another
Anthropomorphism
Attributing human traits, emotions to non-human entities such as animals, gods, abstract concepts
Apophatic/Negative
theological approach (attempts to describe God by negation). Impossibility to transcend the divine, God is beyond any human comprehension. Saying what God is not rather than what God is
Theology
a study of the nature of the divine, religious beliefs, and the relationship between humanity and the sacred. Study of God, religious beliefs and doctrines. ontological argument for God’s existence (“that than which a greater can be conceived”, needs to exist in reality or else not the greatest)
Caritas/Cupiditas
to describe two contrasting forms of love that shape human desires and moral life. Caritas = the love for God and love for others that reflects God’s will (selfless love, source of true happiness) Cupiditas = selfish and excessive love that is attached to material and worldly things
Chain of Being
is a hierarchical structure (to describe order of the universe). Most basic elements to God and reflects the degree of perfection
Christian Universalism
Is a theological belief that ultimately all people will be reconciled to God and attain salvation through Jesus Christ, regardless of their earthly actions and beliefs. Emphasize the God’s love, mercy and restoration of souls.
City of God
represents the community of believers who live according to God’s will and seek eternal life. Love of God, spiritual values, pursuit of divine truth. Compares it with Earthly city
Cognitive Theme/Countertheme
Reflects the predominant way of thinking and understanding about a particular subject (ex: love, power, redemption, etc). Central idea! (straight line)
Countertheme: Opposing and contrasting idea that challenges the cognitive theme (tension, conflict, deeper reflection engaged, questioning)
Compatibilism
Free will (the capacity to act according to one’s desires, not the ability to act independently of causal influences) and determinism can coexist. God isn’t taking their freedom.
Contemptus mundi
Contempt of the world, concept reflecting an attitude that emphasizes the detachment from worldly affairs, material possessions; must focus on spiritual values. Take an attitude by rejecting the physical world.
Credo quia absurdum
“I believe because it is absurd”, faith sometimes involves accepting beliefs that seem irrational. He shows it when he puts emphasis on the limitation of human reason in understanding the divine (p.151-153). Adopting the nature because it doesn’t make sense to you (not because of reason), stop trusting yourself instead trust god
Demiurge
Represents a creator or craftsman figure responsible for shaping the material world, does not create from nothing but shapes pre-existing matter. Upholds the order of the cosmos
Determinism
All events (including human actions) are determined by preceding causes and are therefore inevitable. Everything that happened is a result of chain of prior events, laws of nature, etc. Determinism explains that everything, including human decisions, is the inevitable result of previous causes and natural laws, without necessarily involving any divine power.
Divine Foreknowledge
Belief that God possesses complete and infallible knowledge of all events (past, present, future). God’s OMNISCIENCE, knows everything that will happen before it occurs.
Divine Simplicity
God is fundamentally simple and not composed of parts or attributes. God’s essence and existence are identical. God’s nature does not require anything external to Himself. (p.10) NOT A WHOLE, a single simple thing. Gods essence and existence is the same
Donatism
that division within the Christian community is harmful and that believers should strive for reconciliation
Ego sum qui sum
“I am that I am”. God is the source of all existence (God as the fundamental reality and the ground of all being), God is an uncaused cause (God’s transcendence). Source of reflection in the pursuit of truth, signifies the ultimate unity with the divine source. Existence is seeing you these rules.
Epistemology
Studies the nature, origin, and limits of knowledge. Questions related to the definition of knowledge, the sources from which knowledge derives. Depends on perception, reason, intuition, etc.
Metanoia
Change of mind which is brought about in repentance. It may involve amplifying or retracting, strengthening, or weakening a prior statement. Repent your sins. Above the mind, transformation of perspective, seeing things differently.
Metaphysics
Branch of philosophy that studies the basic structure of reality. It looks into the nature of existence, the features all entities have in common, and their division into categories of being.
Millenarianism
The belief in a future period of peace and abundance on earth, often associated with a 1000 years reign of Christ. New reality coming soon, ex: predicting the end of the world. PREDICTING
Necessity/ Contingency
Anything that cannot be changed is necessary. For instance, past facts are necessary facts because they are fixed. However, future events seem contingent because they are not yet fixed.
Neo-Platonism
It is the last school of Greek philosophy. One of its basic elements is the three levels of existence. First, there is the One which is God, the highest form of reality. Then there is the intellect which is the mind distinct from material things and finally, the soul. Dualistic view (spiritual and material)
Normative/Descriptive
A descriptive claim attempts to report something about the world while a normative claim contains a value or judgment on whether something is good or bad or right or wrong or best or worst. Ex: you should go to bed, (value (ex: health) vs fact (ex: eat better))
Omnipotent
Refers to something or someone that has unlimited power or authority. It is often used to describe a deity or a supreme being.
Omniscience
The quality of having or seeming to have unlimited knowledge. For instance, if God would already know if there were to be a sea battle tomorrow, this would make him omniscient.
Ontological Argument
It is a philosophical argument that attempts to prove the existence of God by examining the concept of God
Original Sin
In Christian doctrine, original sin is the fallen state of humanity that originates from Adam and Eve’s disobedience. This sin is inherited by all of humanity where pride and the desire to become God-like take over. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross redeems all of humanity.
Orthodoxy
An orthodoxy is an accepted view/belief about something. Correct opinion, heresy is the opposite. Adhering to the accepted or traditional beliefs and practices of a religion, ideology, or group.
Pantheism
It is the philosophical and religious belief that reality, the universe, and nature are identical to divinity or a supreme entity. The physical world is therefore understood as a deity that has existed since the beginning of time.
Paradox
A statement that is self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but is somehow true. For instance, affirming and denying God’s existence. No rational solution to it
Participation
It is the act of taking part in an event or activity. Participation of the material thing in the divine form
Pelagianism
It is the denial of original sin where humans can choose between right and wrong, without grace of God. Humans can, then, aim at unlimited perfection. No original sin (Pelagius)
Perfectibility
Said of something capable of becoming perfect or being made perfect. No limit to how good you can be
Perfection
The quality or state of being perfect. Highest degree of excellence. God’s perfection (truth, goodness, etc)
Predestination
It is the belief that events in life are decided in advance by God or by fate and cannot be changed. God makes this happen, Subcategory of determinism, deals with the divine, specifically God’s foreordaining of human destiny, particularly concerning salvation, where God’s will is seen as the ultimate determining factor.
Predication
Attribution of characteristics to a subject to produce a meaningful statement combining verbal and nominal elements. Ex : all men are mortal. Term out of logic (act to attribute a characteristic to a substance)
Prevenient Grace
A form of grace that only acts on a person before they are saved. (the grace of God in a person’s life which precedes and prepares to conversion). What god do to convert you
Revelation
The act of revealing or disclosing something. It can refer to the act of making known something that was secret, or a fact that has been made known. Any direct communication from god (ex: bible)
Saving Remnant
A small piece or amount of something that is left from a larger original piece or amount. The phrase refers to a small, faithful group of people who maintain the essential values, principles, or truths of a tradition, even when the majority have abandoned or distorted them. (ex flood of Noah)
Sea Battle
Claim about an event that may or may not happen
Slave to Sin
To be someone who cannot help but make unrighteous choices. We desire to make choices that lead to life, but repeatedly discover we cannot free ourselves from the allure of sin. No more rectitude of will
Spontaneity
The quality of being natural rather than planned in advance. Unreflective decision, flows out of direct nature
Substance
It is a material with particular physical characteristics. The two main categories are immobile substances which are unmoved movers and mobile substances which are the body.
Synchronic/Diachronic
A synchronic analysis examines a phenomenon at a specific point in time, without considering its historical development. It focuses on how things exist or function at a given moment, rather than how they have evolved over time. A diachronic (through time) analysis, on the other hand, examines phenomena through time, considering how they have evolved and developed. It is concerned with historical changes and processes.
Syncretism
refers to the attempt to reconcile, merge, or combine different systems of thought, ideologies, or beliefs into a coherent framework.
Temporal/Ontological
refers to time and how things relate to time (e.g., their changes, duration, or sequence in time). (ex: God comes first in time)
Ontological refers to the nature of existence itself and the categories of being, focusing on what it means to exist, regardless of time.
Priority
it often refers to a kind of ranking or ordering of things in terms of their importance, existence, or dependence
The Word / logos
logos represents rational order and reason governing the cosmos. Use of reason, is a rational structure and creative thought, instrument of reason. Refers to Christ (the Word)
Timaeus
is one of Plato’s dialogues, primarily focusing on the nature of the physical world and the creation of the universe. It presents a cosmic account of how the universe is structured and governed by rational principles
Typology
is a method of interpretation, particularly in theology and biblical studies, where certain figures, events, or symbols in the Old Testament (or earlier texts) are seen as prefigurations or foreshadowings of later figures, events, or concepts in the New Testament (or later contexts). highlights the continuity of God’s plan throughout Scripture, emphasizing how earlier texts set the stage for later revelations
Unmoved Mover
It refers to a fundamental principle that explains the existence and motion of the universe. The Unmoved Mover is an entity that itself is not moved by anything else but is the cause of all motion and change in the universe. It is pure actuality, meaning it has no potentiality. Endless chain of causes something that sets thing in motion and it would be God.
Via negativa
This approach emphasizes what can’t be said about God, asserting that God is ultimately beyond human comprehension and language. It describes God by negation, focusing on what God is not.
via affirmativa
In contrast, this approach affirms certain attributes of God, attempting to describe God’s nature positively, like God’s qualities and how they relate to creation, emphasizing attributes like love, justice, and omniscience.
Weltanschauung
is a German term that translates to “worldview.” It refers to the comprehensive perspective through which individuals or groups interpret and understand the world around them. It encompasses beliefs, values, assumptions, and attitudes that shape how one perceives reality. It influences everything from ethics and morality to politics and religion.
Wheel of Fortune
The Wheel of Fortune symbolizes the unpredictable nature of fate, suggesting that one’s fortune can rise or fall unexpectedly
Will
ability of individuals to make choices that are not determined by prior causes.
the “will of God” refers to God’s intentions or plans for creation and humanity. Your power of choice.
Equivocation
it is a logical fallacy that occurs when a key term in a phrase is used ambiguously, with different meanings in various parts of an argument. This creates confusion and can lead to invalid conclusions, as the argument relies on shifting the meaning of the term. For example, if a “light” is used to mean both “not heavy” and “bright” in the same argument, equivocation would occur.
Essence
the essence refers to the fundamental nature or underlying reality of something that makes it what it is. (Main concept / definition of the substance). it is often discussed in the context of what is permanent, unchanging, and universal about a being or an object
Eternal
timeless, beyond time, without beginning or end. Temporal series
Everlasting
within time, with no end but with a beginning. (Anselm view of time with God)
Ethnocentrism
it is the tendency to view one’s own culture, ethnicity, or social group as the central or most important, often leading to the belief that one’s own norms, values, and practices are superior to those of other groups. This creates a contrast between (relativism) world views because it says that only one belief is the good one –> creates tensions in between cultures.
Etic analysis/Emic analysis
focusing on the outside view. (How culture might appear from the outside) understand with own frame of reference. It involves critically evaluating what is morally right or wrong, good or bad, just or unjust, and considering how ethical principles apply to specific situations. In philosophy, ethical analysis serves to clarify, justify, or critique ethical standards and decisions. Own thoughts on something
VS
Emic analysis: is about immersing oneself in the worldview of the cultural participants and interpreting things as they do. This helps in capturing the nuances and depth of the culture as it is lived and experienced by its members. (Insider, subjective perspective)
Evil as Privation
defines evil not as an independent force or substance, but as the absence or lack of good. This idea, primarily associated with St. Augustine, holds that evil does not have a positive existence of its own but is a deficiency in something that should be good. Evil is not a thing
Fall of man
the fall of Adam, or simply the Fall, is a term used in Christianity to describe the transition of the first man and woman from a state of innocent obedience to God to a state of guilty disobedience. (ANSELM= adam and eve mistake to gave us a sens of rectitude)
Fideism
is the philosophical view that emphasizes faith over reason when it comes to matters of religious belief. It suggests that reason alone is insufficient for understanding or proving religious truths, and that faith is the primary or exclusive means of accessing them. Anselm ontological argument try to put reason behind his fideism.
The first cause
refers to a concept in philosophy and theology, particularly in arguments for the existence of God. It is the idea that everything in the universe must have a cause, and if you trace back through all causes, there must be an initial, uncaused cause that started everything — this is known as the “First Cause” or “Prime Mover.” (text about the first mover)
Future contingent
statements about future events that are not determined, meaning they could either happen or not. These statements are contingent because their truth or falsity is not yet settled. (do we have a power to change destiny
Gnosticism
central idea in Gnosticism is that salvation comes through gnosis — a special, esoteric knowledge of spiritual truths. Gnostics believed that this secret knowledge was the key to transcending the material world and reconnecting with the divine.
Heresy
A heresy typically involves a denial or distortion of a central belief or set of beliefs in a religious tradition. In Christianity, these beliefs are often drawn from the Bible, creeds
Holism
the philosophical idea that systems and their properties should be viewed as wholes, not just as collections of parts. This concept suggests that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, meaning that the interactions and relationships between the parts of a system are what give the system its characteristics, not just the individual components themselves. it suggests that knowledge or reality must be understood in context. Ex: Need to have the Adam and Eve to understand original sin
Humanism
philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively. It typically prioritizes human welfare, dignity, and rationality over religious or supernatural considerations. No religion in it, that puts human being at the center of things
Hyperousias
refers to “beyond essence” or “beyond substance.” It describes God as transcending all categories of being and essence.
* In Neoplatonism, it describes the One, the ultimate principle beyond all existence and knowledge.
* In Christian thought, it can be used to refer to God’s transcendence, indicating that God’s essence is beyond human comprehension and classification, often linked with theological concepts of the Trinity.
Imago Dei
is a Latin term meaning “Image of God,” and it refers to the concept in Christian theology that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God (from Genesis 1:27). The idea has significant implications for ethics, anthropology, and soteriology
Justification by Faith
individuals are justified (made righteous before God) by faith alone, rather than by works or adherence to the law. Justification is granted by God’s grace through the believer’s faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice
Manichaeism
Manichaeism is a dualistic religious system. It teaches that the universe is divided between two fundamental and opposing forces: good and evil. Iranian religion, rival to Christianity, Augustine a ‘hearer’ for 9 years, Dualistic: light/goodness vs. dark/evil
, God simply good (not ambivalent as in Christianity) – but also conceived as passive (Brown 52), Soul a part of the divine substance, but trapped, unfree, in a fallen world, dominated by passions, body (Brown 50), Cosmos literally an ‘externalization of an inner, spiritual conflict’ (Brown 56)
Materialism
it is the philosophical belief that only matter and physical things are real, and everything, including thoughts, consciousness, and spiritual experiences, can be explained by material interactions. It contrasts with dualism or idealism, which posit that there are non-material realities like mind, spirit, or soul. Illusion , what is real is the material
