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theology > key words > Flashcards

key words Flashcards

1
Q

act utilitarianism

A

weighs up what to do in each individual occassion

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2
Q

active euthanasia

A

a deliberate action performed by a third party to kill a person, for example by lethal injection. active euthanasia is illegal in the uk

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3
Q

aetion

A

an explanatory factor, a reason or cause for something

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4
Q

agape love

A

unconditional love, the only ethical norm in situationism

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5
Q

analogy

A

a comparison between one thing and another in attempt to clarify meaning

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6
Q

antinormian ethics

A

antinormian ethics do not recognise the role of law in morality (‘nomos’ is greek for ‘law’)

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7
Q

a posteriori arguments

A

arguments which draw conclusions based on observation through experience

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8
Q

a priori arguments

A

arguments which draw conclusions through the use of reason

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9
Q

autonomy and the right to die

A

the idea that human freedom should extend to decide the time and manner of death

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10
Q

beatific vision

A

a face-to-face encounter with god

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11
Q

bible/scripture

A

the collection or canon of books in the bible which contain the revelation of god

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12
Q

capitalism

A

an economics system based on the private ownership of how things are made and sold, in which businesses compete freely with each other to make profits

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13
Q

caritas

A

‘generous love’, a love of others and of the virtues; the latin equivalent of the greek word agape

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14
Q

categorical imperative

A

an unconditional moral obligation that is always binding irrespective of a person’s inclination or purpose

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15
Q

category error

A

a problem of language that arises when things are talked about as if they belong to one category when in fact they belong to another

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16
Q

cheap grace

A

grace that is offered freely, but is received without any change in the recipient, and is ultimately false as it does not save

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17
Q

church tradtition

A

the traditions of how christian life in community works, in worship, practical moral life and prayer, and the teaching and reflection of the church handed down across time

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18
Q

concordia

A

human friendship

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19
Q

concupiscience

A

uncontrollable desire for physical pleasures and material things

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20
Q

conscience

A

the term ‘conscience’ ay variously be used to refer to a faculty within us, a process of moral reasoning insights from god or it may be understood in psychological terms. fletcher described it as a function rather than a faculty

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21
Q

consciousness

A

awareness or perception

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22
Q

consequentialism

A

ethical theories that see morality as driven by the consequences, rather than actions or character of those concerned

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23
Q

consumerism

A

a set of social beliefs that put high value on acquiring material things

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24
Q

contingent

A

depending on other things

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25
Q

conversion experience

A

an experience which produces a radical change in someone’s belief system

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26
Q

corporate religious experience

A

religious experiences which happen to a group of people ‘as a body’

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27
Q

corporate social responsibility

A

a sense that businesses have wider responsibilities than simply to their shareholders including the communities they live and work in and to the environment

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28
Q

cosmological

A

to do with the universe

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29
Q

costly grace

A

grace followed by obedience to gods command and discipleship

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30
Q

cupiditas

A

‘selfish love’, a love of worldly things and of selfish desire

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31
Q

deontological

A

from the latin for ‘duty’, ethics focused on the intrinsic rightness and wrongness of actions

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32
Q

dignity

A

the worth or quality of life, which can be linked to sanctity or freedom

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33
Q

discipleship

A

following the life, example and teaching of jesus

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34
Q

disembodied existence

A

existing without a physical body

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35
Q

dualism

A

the belief that reality can be divided into two distinct parts, such as good and evil, or physical and non-physical

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36
Q

duty

A

duties are created by moral law, to follow it is our duty. the word deontological means duty based

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37
Q

ecclesia

A

heavenly society, in contrast with earthly society

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38
Q

election (in a theological sense)

A

predestination, chosen by god for heaven or hell

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39
Q

empricism

A

a way of knowing that depends on the five senses

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40
Q

empiricist

A

someone who thinks that the primary source of knowledge is gained through the five senses

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41
Q

epistemic distance

A

a distance in knowledge and understanding

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42
Q

eudaimonia

A

living well, as an ultimate end in life which all other actions should lead towards

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43
Q

extrinsically good

A

good defined with reference to the end rather than good in and of itself. fletcher argued only love was intrinsically good

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44
Q

faith

A

involuntary commitment to a belief without the need for complete evidence to support it

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45
Q

the fall

A

the biblical event in which adam and eve disobeyed god’s command and ate the fruit from the forbidden tree in the garden of eden; also used to refer to the imperfect state of humanity

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46
Q

forms

A

a name plato gave to ideal concepts

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47
Q

free will

A

the ability to make independent choices between real options

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48
Q

good will

A

a person of good will is a person who makes decisions according to the moral law

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49
Q

globalisation

A

the integration of economies, industries, markets, cultures and policymaking around the world

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50
Q

grace

A

in theological terms, god’s free and undeserved love for humanity, epitomised in the sacrifice of jesus on the cross

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51
Q

grace of god

A

god’s unconditional and undeserved gifts

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52
Q

hedonic calculus

A

the system for calculating the amount of pain or pleasure generated

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53
Q

hedonistic

A

pleasure-driven

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54
Q

homoousios

A

of the same substance or of the same being

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55
Q

hypostatic union

A

the belief that christ is both fully god and fully human, indivisible, two natures united in one person

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56
Q

hypothetical imperative

A

a moral obligation that applies only if one desires the implied goal

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57
Q

immediate revelation

A

where someone is given direct knowledge of god

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58
Q

incarnation

A

god born as a human being in jesus christ

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59
Q

inconsistent triad

A

the omnibenevolence an omnipotence of god, and the existence of evil in the world are said to be mutually incompatible

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60
Q

involuntary euthanasia

A

where a person is killed against their wishes, for example when disabled people were killed by nazi doctors

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61
Q

justice

A

justice ordinarily refers to notions of fair distribution of benefits for all. fletcher specifically sees justice as a kind of tough love; love applied to the world

62
Q

kingdom of ends

A

an imagined future in which all people act in accordance to the moral law, the categorical imperative imperative

63
Q

legalistic ethics

A

law-based moral decision-making

64
Q

liberator

A

a general term for someone who frees a people or group

65
Q

limited election

A

the view that god chooses only a small number of people for heaven

66
Q

logical fallacy

A

reasoning that has a flaw in its nature

67
Q

materialism

A

the belief that only physical matter exists, and that the mind can be explained in physical terms as chemical activity in the brain

68
Q

maxims

A

another word for moral rules, determined by reason

69
Q

mediate revelation

A

where someone gains knowledge of god in a secondary, non-direct way

70
Q

messiah

A

in christianity the word is associated with jesus christ, who is believed to be the son of god and the saviour. in judaism the word is associated with individuals who rose up against oppression, the people of israel

71
Q

moral evil

A

the evil done and suffering caused by deliberate misuse of human free will

72
Q

moral law

A

binding moral obligations

73
Q

mystical experience

A

experiences of god or of the supernatural which go beyond everyday sense experience

74
Q

natural evil

A

evil and suffering caused by non-human agencies

75
Q

natural law

A

a deontological theory based on behaviour that accords with given laws or moral rules (e.g. given by god) that exist independently of human societies and systems

76
Q

natural theology

A

drawing conclusions about the nature and activity of god by using reason and observing the world

77
Q

naturalistic explanation

A

an explanation referring to natural rather than supernatural causes

78
Q

necessary existence

A

existence that does not depend on anything else

79
Q

neoplatonism

A

philosophical thinking arising from the ideas of plato

80
Q

neurophysiology

A

an area of science which studies the brain and nervous system

81
Q

non-voluntary euthanasia

A

this applies when a person is unable to express their wish to die but there are reasonable grounds for ending their life painlessly, for example if a person cannot communicate but is in extreme pain

82
Q

non treatment decision

A

the decision medical professionals make to withhold or withdraw medical treatment or life support that is keeping a person alive because they are not going to get better, or because the person asks them to. controversially it is also sometimes called passive euthanasia

83
Q

numinous experience

A

an indescribable experience which invokes feelings of awe, worship and fascination

84
Q

omnibenevolent

A

all-good and all-loving

85
Q

omnipotent

A

all-powerful

86
Q

omniscient

A

all-knowing

87
Q

ontological

A

to do with the nature of existence

88
Q

original sin

A

a state of wrongdoing in which people are born (according to christians) because of the sin of adam and eve

89
Q

palliative care

A

end-of-life care to make the person’s remaining moments of life as comfortable as possible

90
Q

parable

A

a story told to highlight a moral message

91
Q

parousia

A

used in christianity to refer to the second coming of christ

92
Q

particular judgement

A

judgement for each person at the point of death

93
Q

passion

A

jesus’ sufferings at the end of his life

94
Q

personalism

A

ethics centred on people, rather than laws or objects

95
Q

personhood

A

the quality of human life that makes it worthy - usually linked to certain higher capacities

96
Q

positivism

A

proposes something as true or good without demonstrating it. fletcher posits love as good

97
Q

practical reason

A

the tool which makes moral decisions

98
Q

pragmatism

A

acting, in moral situations, in a way that is practical, rather than purely ideologically

99
Q

predicate

A

a term which describes a distinctive characteristic of something

100
Q

primary precepts

A

the most important rules in life: to protect life, to reproduce, to live in community, to teach the young and to believe in god

101
Q

prime mover

A

aristotle’s concept of the ultimate cause of movement and change in the universe

102
Q

principle of credulity

A

swinburne’s principle that we should usually believe what our senses tell us we are perceiving

103
Q

principle of sufficient reason

A

the principle that everything must have a reason to explain it

104
Q

principle of testemony

A

swinburne’s principle that we should usually trust that other people are always telling us the truth

105
Q

principle of utility/greatest happiness

A

the idea that the choice that brings about the greatest good for the greatest number is the right choice

106
Q

privatio boni

A

a phrase used by augustine to mean and absence of goodness

107
Q

protestantism

A

a form of christianity which rejects the authority of the catholic church and places greater emphasis on the bible and on personal faith

108
Q

purgatory

A

a place where people go, temporarily, after death to be cleansed of sin before they are fit to live with god

109
Q

qualitative

A

focused on quality (what kind of thing)

110
Q

quality of life

A

a way of weighing the extrinsic experience of life, that affects or justifies whether or not it is worth continuing life

111
Q

quantitaive

A

focused on quantity (how many, hob big, etc.)

112
Q

rabbi

A

a jewish teacher, often associated with having followers

113
Q

rationalist

A

someone who thinks that the primary source of knowledge is reason

114
Q

reason

A

using logical steps and thought processes in order to reach conclusions

115
Q

redeemed

A

in theological, ‘saved’ from sine by the sacrifice of christ

116
Q

redemption

A

the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil

117
Q

reductive materialism

A

otherwise known as identity theory - the view that mental events are identical with physical occurrences in the brain

118
Q

relativism

A

the rejection of absolute moral standards, such as laws or rights. good and bad are relative to an individual or a community or, in fletcher’s case, to love

119
Q

resurrection

A

living on after death in a glorified physical form in a new realm

120
Q

revelation

A

‘uncovering’. in theological terms, this is when god chooses to let himself be known

121
Q

rule utilitarian

A

weighs up what to do in principle in all occasions of a certain kind

122
Q

sacred tradition

A

the idea that the revelation of jesus christ is communicated in two ways. in addition to scripture, it is communicated through the apostolic and authoritative teaching of the church councils and the pope

123
Q

sanctity of life

A

the idea that life is intrinsically sacred or has such worth that it is not considered within the power of a human being

124
Q

sceptic

A

someone who will not accept what others say without questioning and challenging

125
Q

scepticism

A

a questioning approach which does not take assumptions for granted

126
Q

secondary precepts

A

the laws which follow from primary precepts

127
Q

shareholder

A

a person who has invested money in a business in return for a share of the profits

128
Q

sin

A

disobeying the will and commands of god

129
Q

situational ethics

A

another term for situation ethics, ethics focused on the situation, rather than fixed rules

130
Q

socratic method

A

the method of philosophical reasoning which involves critical questioning

131
Q

solidarity

A

an altruistic commitment to stand alongside and be with those less fortunate, the oppressed, those who suffer

132
Q

son of god

A

a term for jesus that emphasises he is god incarnate, on of the three persons of the trinity

133
Q

soul

A

often, but not always, understood to be the non-physical essence of a person

134
Q

stakeholder

A

a person who is affected by or involved in some form of relationship with a business

135
Q

substance

A

a subject which has different properties attributed to it

136
Q

substance dualism

A

the belief that the mind and the body both exist as two distinct and separate realities

137
Q

summum bonum

A

the highest, most supreme good

138
Q

synderesis

A

to follow the good and avoid the evil, the rule which all precepts follow

139
Q

teleological

A

looking to the end results (telos) in order to draw a conclusion about what is right or wrong

140
Q

teleological ethics

A

moral goodness is determined by the end or result

141
Q

telos

A

the end, or purpose, of something

142
Q

theist

A

someone who believes in god or gods

143
Q

theodicy

A

an attempt to justify god in the face of evil in the world

144
Q

transcendent

A

being beyond this world and outside the realms of ordinary experience

145
Q

universalism

A

the view that all people will be saved

146
Q

unlimited election

A

the view that all people are called to salvation but only a few will be saved

147
Q

voluntary euthanasia

A

this applies when a person’s life is ended painlessly at their own request

148
Q

whistle-blowing

A

when an employee discloses wrongdoing to the employer or the public

149
Q

will

A

the part of human nature that makes free choices

150
Q

wisdom literature

A

a genre of writing from the ancient world, teaching about wisdom and virtue. in the bible, books such as proverbs and job are classified as wisdom literature

151
Q

word

A

from the greek logos, another name for the second person of the trinity, used at the beginning of john’s gospel to describe the incarnation which existed from the beginning, of one substance with and equal to god the father

152
Q

zealot

A

a member of the jewish political/military movement that fought against rome in the first century ad

theology (19 decks)

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