Key words

Question 1

Son of God

Answer 1

The term used by Jesus’ followers to describe his special relationship with God.

Question 2

Liberator

Answer 2

A view often held by liberation theologians to describe Jesus’ preferential option for the poor.

Question 3

Rabbi

Answer 3

Jesus as a teacher.

Question 4

Hypostatic union

Answer 4

The belief that Christ is both fully God and fully himan.

Question 5

Homoousious

Answer 5

The same substance or being.

Question 6

Word (logos)

Answer 6

The incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Question 7

Redemption

Answer 7

The act of saving or being saved from sin.

Question 8

Incarnation

Answer 8

Jesus as man/in the flesh.

Question 9

Zealot

Answer 9

Member of the Jewish political movement who fought against Rome.

Question 10

Messiah

Answer 10

One who saves/rose up against oppression.

Question 11

Christ

Answer 11

The anointed one.

Question 12

Form of life

Answer 12

In Wittgenstein’s philosophy of language refers to the historical, sociological, moral and psychological conditions in which ordinary language operates and has meaning.

Question 13

Torah

Answer 13

Refers to the Jewish body of law and teaching traditionally believed to have been given to Moses. It is contained in the first five books of the Bible.

Question 14

Sermon on the mount

Answer 14

Found in Matthew 5-7 and is Jesus’ longest discourse on ethics. It begins with the qualities or virtues a Christian requires to lead the good life and then discusses a range of moral and religious issues, from the use of force to the practice of prayer and worship.

Question 15

Metanoia

Answer 15

The Greek word usually translated as repentance. But it also means a radical change of mind-set and heart.

Question 16

Parable of the lost son

Answer 16

One of the several parables Luke collects together in his Gospel on the theme of ‘lost and found’. The ‘lost’ are probably those who have strayed from their Jewish faith.

Question 17

Underside of history

Answer 17

The aspect of history that is forgotten or missed but which in fact occupies the larger part of human existence. Liberation theologians use it to refer to the marginalised, oppressed and exploited members of society.

Question 18

Preferential option for the poor

Answer 18

The Christian duty of the privileged to side with the poor in solidarity and act against exploitation and injustice.

Question 19

Samaritans

Answer 19

A group of Jews living in Samaria midway between Judaea and Galilee. They were regarded by Judean Jews as being racially and religiously impure because they had married foreigners and built their own temple. Most Jews travelling north to Galilee would have avoided passing through Samaria.

Question 20

Council of Chalcedon

Answer 20

It was at the centre of the Roman Empire and the church. The meeting in 451AD was attended by 600 bishops with the primary purpose of re-affirming the central Christian beliefs, in particular the divinity and humanity of Christ.

Question 21

Christology

Answer 21

The area of Christian theology concerned with the nature of Jesus Christ’s relationship.

Question 22

Theotokos

Answer 22

The Greek term translated variously as ‘God-bearer’ or ‘God-producer’ when referring to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and is widely used today in the Eastern churches.

Question 23

Docetic

Answer 23

Comes from the Greek word meaning to ‘seem’ or ‘appear’. Docetism is the view that although Jesus may have appeared to be a full human being, this was only so that God could communicate with humans.

Question 24

Exegesis

Answer 24

The close analysis and interpretation of a text.

Question 25

Christ-event

Answer 25

Refers to Jesus’ birth, ministry, death and resurrection. It is used by scholars to suggest that the significance of Christ lies in no one particular historical moment but the whole of his life and its relationship with history before and after.

Question 26

Creed

Answer 26

Authorised summary of Christian belief and teaching.

Question 27

Kingdom of God

Answer 27

In Jesus’ teaching, this refers to to a future transformation of this world.

Question 28

Atonement

Answer 28

Becoming ‘at one’. In Christianity, the process by which God removes sin, allowing humanity to become ‘at one’ with him.

Question 29

Parousia

Answer 29

‘Arrival’. Return of Christ and the kingdom at the final judgement.

Question 30

Messianic secret

Answer 30

Refers to a number of times in Mark’s gospel when Jesus says he is not the Messiah, thought to be added by the Gospel writers after Jesus’ death to show why he was not recognised as the Messiah at the time.

Question 31

Kerygma

Answer 31

‘Preaching’; earliest message of Christianity.

Question 32

Demythologising

Answer 32

The process of stripping ancient myths/metaphors used to convey religious experiences of their imagery (falsely understood as fact) in order to recover original existential experience (human experience).

Question 33

Category mistake

Answer 33

When factual statements are confused with value statements e.g. confusion of historical and faith knowledge.

Question 34

Exodus

Answer 34

Liberation of Hebrew (Israelite, Jewish) slaves from Egypt. Led by Moses, appointed by God.

Question 35

Key passages

Answer 35

Jesus heals a man born blind.
Jesus calms the storm. 
The fulfilment of the Law.
Parable of the lost son.
Parable of the good Samaritan.
Jesus heals the woman from bleeding.

Question 36

Who were the 4 groups of Jews?

Answer 36

Zealots.
Pharisees.
Sadducees.
Essenes.