election Flashcards
Define limited election
- only SELECT FEW will achieve salvation
- god PREDESTINES some for heaven
- christianity alone has the FULL MESSAGE of salvation
- examples like Saul/Paul show that without God’s grace, people cannot be saved
Define unlimited election
- . salvation is open to all but only a SMALL NUMBER will actually achieve it
- OMNIBENEVOLENT- the opportunity for salvation must be open to all
- people must ACCEPT JESUS
- t is still LIMITED
Define universal election
- OMNIBENEVOLENT- everyone will eventually be saved
- god would NOT LIMIT salvation to a particular group or number of people
- people can continue their SPIRITUAL GROWTH after death
Limited election- Cyprian of Carthage
Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus- ‘outside the church, no salvation’
what did Calvin believe about the afterlife?
Salvation by grace and predestination (not a mainstream christian belief)
How many seats are believed to be in heaven?
144,000 will be ‘sealed’ in heaven- Revelation
Quote from Jesus about unlimited election
Matthew 22:14 ‘ Many are invited, but few are chosen’
Quote from Jesus about ‘narrow door’
Luke 13:22 ‘ Do your best to go in through the narrow door; because many people will surely try to go in but will not be able’ supported by many Protestants and Catholics
What did Barth believe?
A loving God would not limit entrance to heaven
Who believed in universal election?
Hick
- god will save all people as this is what a loving god would do
Quote to support limited election
Jesus- no one comes to the father except through me
Strengths of limited election
- God’s OMNISCIENCE means he knows how many will enter heaven
- Omniscience means PREDETERMINED
- JUST
- Gives purpose to Jesus’ CRUCIFIXION
Weaknesses of limited election
- God would want more people to achieve salvation- BENEVOLENT
- heaven could already be FULL
- UNJUST
- INCOHERENT with other christian beliefs
- Dependant on HELL
- CONTRADICTS other scripture
Weaknesses of unlimited election
- A person could follow Jesus without realising it and be GOOD (Rahner’s anonymous Christians)
- Not everyone is EXPOSED to Christianity, disabled, infantile
- Dependant on HELL
- Christianity is always CHANGING
Strengths of universal election
- Fits with NATURE of God
- Still JUST as some punishment
- Purpose of life is SOUL-MAKING, not deciding on heaven and hell
- Removes religious barriers and is more FAIR
Weaknesses of universal election
- UNJUST if everyone ends up in the same place
- No SCRIPTURAL support
- Relies on belief of SOUL
- Relies on SOUL MAKING in afterlife
- UNDERMINED importance of JESUS
Strengths of unlimited election
- COHERENT with God’s just and benevolent nature
- JESUS has purpose due to the DOCTRINE OF UNLIMITED ATONEMENT’
- SCRIPTURAL support
Para on no limit on number of spaces
BARTH- benevolent god would not limit, doctrine of unlimited atonement, Jesus brought salvation for all
CALVIN- Jesus only died for the elect, Revelation 144 000 sealed
- Dependent on hell which is problematic
- Unjust eg dead babies
- Predestination, actions lack meaning, unjust, compromise of free will
- Barth is coherent
- Principle of non-contradiction, Matthew 25, ‘all nations’
Para on no religious barriers
Use RAHNER OR HICK- some not capable, eg because of culture, or anonymous Christians
Cyprian of Cathage- Ecclesium Nulla Salus
Jesus- no one comes to the father except through me
Barth- Jesus chose to reveal himself through Christianity
- Coherent
- Illogical- Christianity is always changing
- Creates intolerance
- Jesus spoke about resurrection being with Abraham who is technically outside the church, principle of non-contradiction
Describe Catholic views on purgatory
Humans are not in a fit state to enter heaven, soul must be cleansed, the righteous are purified, fit to enter presence of God, requires some punishment for sin (God is just)- Pope Gregory in 16th century
What does the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats say about the afterlife
Salvation by merit
“all nations” available to all
Who advocated salvation through merit?
Pelagius
What examples of grace did Augustine give to discredit Pelagius?
Moses would have remained a Shepard and left the Israelites to suffer had god not moved him through the burning bush
St Paul would have continued to persecute Christians without God converting him
Quote from Jesus about ‘narrow door’
Luke 13:22 ‘ Do your best to go in through the narrow door; because many people will surely try to go in but will not be able’ supported by many Protestants and Catholics
Cyprian of Carthage Criticism
Roman Catholic Church today does not agree
- Abraham lived many years before christ (lived outside the church)
what did Karl Rahner call St Paul’s idea
anonymous christian
St Paul’s middle ground
those who do not know christ but still obey their consciences are in fact obeying god’s laws without realising it, it shows that god’s law can be obeyed unwittingly
orthodoxy
believing in the right thing
orthopraxy
doing the right thing
