Introduction Flashcards
Naturalism
A worldview that accepts the existence of only physical things
Worldview
A person’s perspective (set of beliefs) that colors or influences the way that person interprets everything that person perceives
Christian Theism
A worldview that begins with the existence of the Christian God, Creator of the physical world and its organisms as well as the non-physical world and its non-physical beings
Reductionism
A perspective that seeks to understand something by looking at its component parts
Atom
An electrically neutral arrangement of proton(s) and an equal number of orbiting electron(s)
Molecule
Atoms bound together by convalent bonds
Cell
Tiny, membrane-bound structures that make up all organisms; smallest unit of biological life
Organ
Biological system of tissues in multi-cellular organism; make up organ systems in large organisms
Organism
And animal, plant, or single-celled life form
Emergent Properties
Properties of an entity unaccounted for by the entity’s component parts
Life
Non-physical source of vitality. Different types of life: divine life is part of the natural essence of God and creature life is created by God in spirit beings and organisms; biblical life is possessed by God, spirit beings, and living humans and animals; nephesh life is possessed by living humans and animals; biological life is possessed by all organisms
Holism
A perspective that seeks to understand something by looking at its larger context, and discovers more to something than is accounted by a sum of its parts
Evolution, Naturalistic
The belief that all things originated by spontaneous or natural change from previously existing physical things
Natural Evil
Anything in the physical world that causes suffering of humans or animals
Death, Biblical
Cessation of biological life in animals and humans as an evil-minimizing effect of the curse
