Knowledge of God

Question 1

what is natural theology?

Answer 1

god can be seen through reason and the natural world

Question 2

what is revealed theology?

Answer 2

god can only known when he lets himself be known

Question 3

give some examples of god letting himself be known

Answer 3

prophets
prayer
scripture

Question 4

what is sensus divinitatis?

Answer 4

an innate knowledge of god

Question 5

who first used ‘sensus divinitatis?

Answer 5

john calvin - french protestant reformer

Question 6

what is the universal consent argument?

Answer 6

the idea that over human history, various cultures have ‘consented’ in the idea of a higher being/beings

Question 7

what is the anthropic principle?

Answer 7

the idea that theories of the universe are constrained by the necessity to allow human existence

Question 8

what is the accomodation principle?

Answer 8

the idea that an ineffable god has communicated in a way in which humans can understand and respond to

Question 9

what is aquinas analogy on natural theology?

Answer 9

everything points away from itself and towards god

Question 10

give an example of aquinas analogy

Answer 10

the tree cannot finally explain its own existence and therefore points towards god - necessary existence

Question 11

how does the accommodation principle manifest itself in natural theology?

Answer 11

god speaks to people through nature, a language they can understand

Question 12

how does barth argue that the fall has led to human loss of knowledge of god

Answer 12

pride leads to loss of relationship with god

Question 13

what is regeneration for calvin?

Answer 13

being able to transform through knowledge of god

Question 14

how does the person of christ reveal something of god?

Answer 14

son of god is a mirror of the transcendent father

Question 15

what is the significant difference between the finality of christ but not the finality of christology?

Answer 15

christ is absolute truth, revealed through humans
BUT
our study and knowledge of christ is never ending because we are fallen

Question 16

name the five interpretations of the bible

Answer 16

god as author
fundementalist
bible and jesus
experience
trinitarian

Question 17

explain the bible interpretation of god as author

Answer 17

god speaks through bible

the words point beyond themselves to god

Question 18

explain the bible interpretation of fundementalists

Answer 18

the bible is the exact words of god

bible belt america

Question 19

explain the bible interpretation of bible and jesus

Answer 19

you read the bible ‘with jesus’

read with your faith to make sense of it

Question 20

explain the bible interpretation through experience

Answer 20

the bible as a group of individual experiences

Question 21

explain the trinitarian interpretation of the bible

Answer 21

one god revealed in 3 ways

every word is prayed/ read through the lens of christ

Question 22

what are the three ways god is revealed for a trinitarian?

Answer 22

father
son
holy spirit

Question 23

how does the holy spirit influence the trinitarian reading of the bible and why are these readings inaccurate?

Answer 23

guides reading leading towards father and son, readings will always be imperfect due to human nature