ORIGINS AND MEANINGS Flashcards
Creation ex nihilo
‘creation out of nothing’. Before God created the universe, nothing existed. Only God can create out of nothing.
Evolution
The process of mutation and natural selection which leads to changes in species over time to suit particular environments.
Imago Dei
‘in the image of God’. The belief that human being are uniquely a reflection of God’s personhood. Unlike other animals, human beings are rational, free and moral.
Inspiration
‘God breathed’. The belief that the Spirit of God guides an individual to act or write what is good and true.
Omnipotence
The belief that god is all powerful.
Revelation
The word used to describe all of the ways in which God makes himself known to human beings. Christians believe that God does this finally and fully in the person of Jesus Christ.
Stewardship
The duty to care for creation responsibly, as stewards rather than consumers, and to protect it for future generations.
Transcendence
Existing outside of space and time; God exists in a way that makes him nothing like anything that exists, above and beyond creation.