mini exam 3 Flashcards
What is the shared God-Concept advocated by all three major Western religions? Cite at least three essential characteristics of this shared God-Concept?
-God is supreme and personal, meaning God is a person and can think and feel, has emotions and judgement capabilities.
-God is all knowing, all powerful, and all good
Though all three major Western religions do share a God-concept that is similar in certain fundamental respects, there are also important differences. In what ways does the God concept of traditional Christianity differ significantly from that of Judaism and Islam?
Why do Muslims ultimately reject the Christian God? On what grounds?
- Christianity has an internal structure with 3 distinct entities (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit). According to the Muslims, this makes Christianity polytheistic instead of monotheistic.
-Islam would reject Jesus because he is incorrectly identified as the Mesiah and incorrectly identified with god himself
Compare/contrast the three distinct Biblical accounts of the story of Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden. Cite any relevant similarities between the three interpretations of this Biblical account and identify any significant differences:
a. The Hebrew (Judaism, Old Testament) Account
b. The New Testament (Christian) Account
c. The Qur’anic (Islamic) Account
a. A sinful action occurred but sin does not have a catastrophic effect on human nature. Rejects original sin. Takes a view of sin as something that can be renounced or resisted.
b. The fall is a very serious event because it is the first instance of human beings acting willfully against God’s commands. It had a very damaging effect on human nature; Adam and Eve’s willful disobedience led to the corruption of our natures and original sin which is all descendants inherit predisposition towards sin, making us inherently flawed creatures and unacceptable to god. Compared to the Hebrew account, this view is much more pessimistic in terms of whether we have the ability to act in accordance with God’s will.
c. In other accounts, Eve is responsible for persuading Adam, but in this account, Adam and Eve both willingly follow Satan’s temptation. Adam recognized that it was wrong, felt remorse, and apologized. After apologizing, God made Adam a prophet.
On the Hebrew account, God and human beings enter a “covenant.” What is a “covenant?”
A covenant is an agreement. God and the Israelites had a covenant, which presupposes that God thinks the Israelites are the type of people that could act in accordance with the agreement. This implies that the Hebrews were trustworthy in the eyes of God, and that humans have the capacity to act in accordance with God’s will.
In Hebrew thought, there are at least two interpretations of the precise nature of the role of the Messiah – one narrowly geopolitical and one broadly eschatological. Explain the
difference?
-geopolitical- messiah is an individual who will return the Israelites to their ancestral lands and bring them permanent relief from their exile
-Eschatological- the messiah makes it possible for us to cheat the death of our body by having a postmortem existence with God
What does God’s willingness to enter a (legal-like) covenant with humankind imply about the nature of human beings? Explain briefly.
It implies that we have the capacity for ethical self-regulation. Sin does not control us. We can refrain from acting sinfully. Our sinful natures are able to overpower our willpower, but we must connect with God to overcome it.
On the Hebrew Account under what conditions is human goodness ultimately achievable?
Following God’s will. A certain state of goodness is achieved when a being realizes its purpose. Finding our purpose connects with God-worshipping activities such as worship or prayer that reinforce the relationship between God and man. One must participate in God-oriented activities.
The interlocking concepts of Christian theology above must be understood in relation to the biblical story of _______.
The Fall of Adam and Eve
What view of human nature becomes operative because of what takes place in the biblical (Christian) account of the Garden of Eden
original sin
How does this view provide the theological rationale for the INCARNATION?
God taking the form of a human is the incarnation. In doing so, Jesus is a God-Man. He is both a deity and a human. He is all powerful, all good, and all knowing. He is still identical to God.
What is the function of Christ’s voluntary crucifixion?
By incarnation, God would put himself in a position to understand what it is like to be a human, and the crucifixion is to represent a sense of sacrifice. Jesus pays off the debt that human sinners incurred by the sacrifice of crucifixion.
What is the significance of the RESURRECTION?
It shows Jesus’s victory over sin and death. It is to pay the debt of human sinners. It is an act of voluntary love.
What spiritual problem is supposed to be solved by the concept of Christian ATONEMENT?
It addresses the disconnection between God and man that is caused by sin. It restores the relationship and makes fellowship possible.
The term ‘khalifa’? has three distinct meanings—the first pertaining to a leadership role, the second to a ‘high office” as divine representative, and the third to an aspirational ideal. Briefly explain each.
-Leadership role- it is the role to be played by the successor of Mohammed as leader of the Islamic community. This usage emphasizes the role of governance and decision-making for the Islamic community.
- high office as divine representative- the khalifa is seen as God’s deputy on earth, entrusted with a sacred responsibility to implement divine will.
-aspirational ideal- this meaning suggests that every human being has the potential to live up to a divine calling by exercising moral perfectibility. This ideal is linked to living in accordance with sharia (the comprehensive moral and spiritual framework of Islam) and fiqh (the interpretation and application of divine law).
For which of the three meanings of Khalifa (leadership role, high office as divine representative, aspirational ideal) is there a Judeo-Christian equivalent?
The aspirational ideal of Khalifa. In the Judeo-Christian idea, humanity is created in the perfect image of God, every human is entrusted with the duty of governing in accordance with divine principles. This is similar to the Khalifa aspirational ideal where every human has the potential to live up to their divine potential by following their spiritual framework and divine law.
Broadly, with what aspect of human nature—the physical or psychological—is [the] nafs essentially concerned?
The psychological aspect of human nature. In Islamic thought, the nafs do not pertain to the physical body but rather to the inner, subjective experience and moral capacities of an individual
True or false, Nafs refers only to the self as a whole, i.e., as an individual entity.
false (While the nafs does refer to the self, it specifically emphasizes the inner, psychological, and emotional aspects of an individual, not the self as a whole)
True or false, The nafs concept does not refer to any part(s) of the self, nor to any of the self’s features or characteristics.
False (The nafs refer to parts and characteristics of the self, such as the psyche, ego, and inner emotional or motivational states)
True or false, The ‘s’ in the term ‘nafs’ indicates that it is pluralized noun
False (the original Arabic word is a singular noun, meaning “self” or “soul”)
What are two examples of Islamic nafs?
-the commanding soul- inclines a person towards selfish desires, also known as the lower self. It represents unrestrained impulses and is associated with behavior driven by the ego
- self-reapproaching soul- self-critical state where one feels guilt and remorse when they stray from their spiritual ideals
According to Islamic thought, are [the] nafs intrinsically evil (inherently bad)?
No, the nafs can be elevated to higher states through self-discipline, moral reflection, and spiritual practice and are not inherently bad. It the decisions of the individual that determine moral orientation, not the state of the nafs
How might nafs effectively lead a believer astray? How, in other words, might the existence of nafs plausibly explain humankind’s tendency to “forget” its highest order duty, to obey God? Explain your answer.
-the lower desires, or the commanding desires of the nafs can lead believers astray. These desires can lead individuals to seek immediate gratification that leans toward self-interest. These self-serving desires temporarily undermine the ultimate duty of obeying and serving God. This explains how nafs can lead believers astray and cause them to have a tendency to “forget” their ultimate duty of obeying God over themself.
According to the Sufism, what is the lowest level of nafs? Cite the name.
nafs al-ammarah (the commanding soul; base self that urges individuals towards immediate gratification and sinful behavior)
True or false, At this bottom-most level of the nafs is identified as ego-centric self-love.
true (dominated by base desires and impulses, including ego-centric self-love)
In a word, what is the Qur’anic explanation for lapses in human obedience to Allah’s will?
Nafs
Compare/contrast the respective views of Muslims and Christians on the issue of whether humankind has the power of moral effectiveness.
-The Muslim view maintains that human beings have an innate disposition towards recognizing divine truth and moral order. This potential is counterbalanced by the existence of nafs which drive self-centric desires that can cause one to veer from God’s will. Human’s ability for moral effectiveness depends on discipline and one’s ability to refine their inner self through spiritual practice.
-In the Christian view, moral effectiveness is impaired by the Fall, which facilitates original sin. Humans under this doctrine are corrupt from birth, and cannot obtain moral effectiveness on their own; they need God’s redemptive intervention to correct their flaws.
Layout in some detail the Qur’anic remedy for humankind’s frequent lapses in obedience to God. You should be sure to use the relevant Islamic terminology
the firs step to restore the innate disposition, the fitra, disposition towards recognizing and worshipping One God (tawhid). The lower-self nafs can lead on away from their natural state. Believers can purify their intentions (niyah) so their actions align with God. One must work to purify their soul through regular practices of things such as praying fasting, and meditating that align them with their innate duty to obey God.
true or false, The Qur’anic text provides in-depth treatment of the nature and origin of evil.
false (the Qur’an focuses on offering guidance for moral rectification instead of focusing in-depth on the nature and origin of evil)
True or false, The Qur’anic text views itself to be continuous with both the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) and the New Testament (Christian Bible).
True (it emphasizes that all divine messages stem from the same source and are inherently connected)
True or false, The Qur’anic text provides explicit philosophical argumentation for God’s existence, just as both the Hebrew and the Christian Bible do.
False (presents God’s existence as a self-evident reality rather than an issue proven through philosophical debate; it is emphasized through signs in nature, the innate nature that inclines humans towards the divine, and personal experience)
