theology mock 26.01 Flashcards
Biblical support for purgatory
“he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin.” 2 Maccabees 12:45
-Hell is not a place where people can be delivered from sin, suggesting that purgatory does exist
P5 (purgatory) incl biblical support
Therefore, Purgatory seems more reasonable and makes more sense than Hell, especially as the Christian understanding of God is one of mercy, justice, forgiveness and love.
P4 (purgatory)
Justice in punishment requires proportionality: no matter how bad a crime a human did, they did not do an infinite number of crimes; we are finite beings, we cannot do infinite things. For punishment to be fair, it must be proportionate to the crime that they commit. I believe that most Christians would be comfortable in accepting of the idea of purgatory rather than hell as it gives people a second chance, we is something Jesus would have done.
P3 (purgatory)
Hume: arguably, it would not be logical for us to receive infinite punishment when we can only have finite sins.
(+)forgiveness is at the core of Christianity - Christians believe in confessing their sins, seeking forgiveness and reconciling
P2 (purgatory)
argument plus one weakness then contradiction of weakness
Hicks view of purgatory: rejects the view that the God of love would condemn anyone to eternal suffering. Hell is an eternal suffering which can never be just or loving. he believed it wouldn’t be right for people like Hitler to go straight to Heaven (as Hick adopted a universalist view that everyone would be saved), so he proposed his own view of purgatory. Bad people would be given endless chances to become a good person, which he called soul making.
(-)contradicts Biblical evidence such as the rich man and Lazarus, where neither the rich man or Lazarus went to purgatory, the rich man went to hell and Lazarus went to heaven
(+)However Martin Luther argued that it is just a parable designed to teach us a moral lesson. We shouldn’t take it literally - it is not a story about actual events that happened - and so it cannot actually tell us anything about the afterlife. +liberal Christians interpretation
P1 (purgatory)
it aligns better with the concept of a just God because it allows for purification rather than eternal damnation. It addresses the tension between God’s justice (punishment for sin) and God’s mercy (the chance for redemption), whereas Hell only focuses on eternal punishment without the opportunity for repentance, forgiveness or growth. To further this, Hell’s binary nature (saved or damned) seems less realistic given the complexity of human morality.
A01: purgatory and hell
-Purgatory is an intermediate state after death which purges us from our sins. It is a time of purification an cleansing
-seen as a place where those who have committed sins are cleansed by fire (cleansing by fire is an image found in the NT)
-However, the fire is often seen as symbolic, not literal - perhaps referring to an inner fire in the soul or mind
Hell has many varying interpretations such as being seen as a physical place, a spiritual state where they are separated from God or a symbol of a persons life on earth.
P1 - humans have innate knowledge of God
Locke’s concept of ‘tabula rasa’ (Latin for blank slate) is a key idea in his work ‘an essay concerning human understanding’
-Locke argued that the human mind is a blank slate at birth, meaning it has no innate ideas or knowledge. Instead, all knowledge comes from experience, which shapes and fills the mind over time.
-He claimed there is no evidence for innate knowledge, such as God, and that even universal ideas, like morality, vary across cultures.
- For example, newborns lack complex ideas but gradually acquire knowledge through sensory input and learning. This explains why people raised in different cultures develop distinct beliefs, languages, and skills, highlighting the role of environment and experience in shaping the mind rather than innate ideas.
P2 - humans have innate knowledge of God
Revelation is necessary, if natural theology was valid then humans would be able to know God’s existence through their own efforts. This would make revelation unnecessary yet God clearly thought revelation was necessary as he sent Jesus. Barth emphasised that humans cannot reach God through their own reasoning or observation. God is utterly transcendent and can only be known because He chooses to reveal Himself. The fact that God is transcendent means that our human reason is too limited and cannot fully grasp God’s infinite nature. Barth stated that “the finite has no capacity for the infinite”.
P3 - humans have innate knowledge of God
paul
Paul visiting the Athenians in Acts 17:23 altar had ‘to an unknown God’ inscribed on it, they were worshipping a God that they did not know.
P4 - humans have innate knowledge of God
t and c
Paley &Aquinas teleological and cosmological arguments then counter with Hume – the fallacy of composition. Also, Barth states that if a person sees the beauty of nature and then knows something about God, it is because they have already had something revealed to them.
P5 - humans have innate knowledge of God
Richard Dawkins: -would view the idea of innate knowledge of God as a myth, offering instead a naturalistic explanation based on science, reason and empirical evidence. Religious beliefs are learned and culturally transmitted, and the idea of God is a human construct, not an inherent part of human nature.
Humans have innate knowledge of God A01
In Christian theology, the ‘innate’ refers to a concept or knowledge which is understood to be universal to all humanity and is intrinsically wired into humans from birth, rather than learnt through experience.
Natural theology is understood as using reason and observation of the world to come to a knowledge of God
Revealed theology is the idea that God has deliberately chosen to give some knowledge to people - knowledge that could not otherwise have been gained. it is knowledge through revelation.
P1 - Ephesians 5:23
It is outdated, along with other concepts seen in the Bible such as 1 Timothy 2:12 which states “I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent.”
However, genesis 1:26-27, it states that we are all made ‘imago dei’ (in the image of God). This affirms the intrinsic worth and value of every human being. It implies that all people are equal, as all are created in God’s image, regardless of race, gender, or status.
P2 - Ephesians 5:23
Jesus helped the poor and the marginalised; he was a liberator. If we were to follow his ways, we would easily come to a conclusion that mean and women are equal.
However, Hume points out that reason is the slave of the passions. Therefore, men will always be subconsciously drawn to ideology that serves their interest. This would explain some hold a belief, perhaps more so for conservative Christians, that men have more power over women, despite the vast amount of evidence in the Bible to suggest that we are all equal in the eyes of God.
P3 - Ephesians 5:23
When the Bible was written, it may have only felt natural to its authors to include verses that reflected their subscription to a patriarchal ideology. Contrastingly, the views of gender roles in the 21st century have dramatically changed. This argument gives an overview of why some may still hold a view of inequality amongst sexes. However, due to the omnibenevolent nature of God, it would be arguably gullible to suggest that God would make one sex of less value and importance than another. Similarly, the Kingdom of God that Jesus described would not be a place of hierarchy or judgement. Such as in Galatians 3:28
P3 - Ephesians (Galatians 3:28)
‘Their is neither jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’
P4 - Ephesians 5:23
Mulieris Dignitatem (on the dignity of women) published by Pope John Paul II
-Demonstrates we cannot rely on sola scriptura (scripture alone) when discussing modern day issues such as gender inequality
-He states that women and men have different but complementary roles and although they are both different, they are both equally valuable
-Jesus coming to earth was only possible due to a women (Mary), which pope JP pointed at to demonstrate the importance of women in Christian theology.
P5 - Ephesians 5:23
Mary Daly: took a radical approach and suggested that “If God is male, then the male is God”, the cultural belief and system of male power over women is enshrined by the claim that God, the highest authority of all, is male. She believed that God needed to be castrated. She also talked about a matriarchal society, where women were at the top.
However, I do not believe that Mary Daly provides an adequate solution to the problem of inequality and by definition, a matriarchal society would not be one of equality.
P1- Original sin is the reason why humans lack free will
Pessimistic - our fate has already been decided, why would we try and do good.
-incoherent to suggest that the Fall, which happened at the start of time has resulted in unavoidable punishment.
P2 - origional sin is the reason why humans lack free will
Catholic view of concupiscence is that it could make us more inclined to sin/ predisposition rather than fully making us immoral and out of control of our actions.
-Genesis 1:26-27 ‘imago dei’ - and god has granted us conscience and reason
-moral responsibility - punishment or reward become meaningless as we aren’t acting out of choice, rather out of necessity - punishment for sins we can’t avoid which seems arbitrary and unjust
P3 - original sin is the reason why humans lack free will
omnibenevolent God - would not condemn the entire of humanity to a place of moral badness as a result of two peoples sins.
-a loving God would have made sure that free will was maintained post fall to allow us to freely choose to have a relationship with him
-A loving God would not create a system of guaranteed failure
-Augustine’s teaching also risks holding God indirectly accountable for evil by suggesting humans lack the ability to choose otherwise.
P4 - original sin is the reason why humans lack free will
Pelagius: the doctrine of origional sin places too little emphasis on the human capacity for self-improvement
-If “sin” could not be avoided it could not be considered sin.
P1 - all religions lead to salvation
-Hicks universalism:
-rejected the exclusivist notion that only Christians will be saved, instead he believed all religions provide a path to the ultimate reality, which he called ‘the real’ and that everyone will be reconciled with God
-ancient Indian parable of the blind men and the elephant
-similar beliefs and goal of spiritual growth
-since we are finite and god is infinite, and beyond human comprehension, it seems reasonable to suggest that no single tradition fully captures its essence, allowing multiple paths to salvation
P2 - all religions lead to salvation
Parable of the sheep and the goats (judgement based on actions). Some argue that there would be no incentive to follow any religion if it does not contribute to salvation. However, if this was the basis of salvation then arguably their faith would not have been true, it could be fear driven or feel forced. religion should be based on faith rather than using it as a means to an end.
P3 - all religions lead to salvation
unlimited salvation/election (Barth)
-Christs election gives everyone the possibility of eternal life
-Jesus was God-made-human and as such, he, the mediator, is both the one who elects (God) and the one who is elected (human).
-As Jesus took on human flesh, all humans have the potential to be saved. Therefore, the choice (election) that God made is not the choice of who to save but simply to be born as human
-therefore, the effects of Jesus death has meant that everyone has the chance to achieve salvation.
-Jesus died to save everyone from sin - not just Christians
P4 - all religions lead to salvation
include Biblical support
Omnibenevolence:
-regardless of cultures and traditions
-His love is not limited to Christians
Peter declares, “Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. (Acts 10:34-35)
P5 - all religions lead to salvation
Rahner’s anonymous Christian:
-Concluded he must reject exclusivist approach due to people who had lived before Jesus or simply never heard of Christ.
-Rahner argued that other religions contained valid natural theology and God’s grace, but mixed with error and depravity, and so called their followers ‘anonymous Christians’
P1 - ‘preferential option for the poor’ fair
-incl Biblical support
The golden rule
-Jesus always helped those in need, the poor, the marginalised and the outcasts
-Matthew 25:40 “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
P2 - ‘preferential option for the poor’ fair?
Matthew 6:25 “sell your possessions and give to the poor”
-The principle does not exclude the wealthy but calls on them to share resources and act in solidarity with the poor. This reflects the idea of stewardship—that those with more have a moral responsibility to use their wealth for the common good.
-Fairness demands that resources be distributed to those who need them most, rather than hoarded by a privileged few.
P3 - ‘preferential option for the poor’ fair?
Guitierrez
-social and economic liberation should come first
-economic poverty needs to be addressed before spiritual poverty since economic poverty is an impediment to spiritual liberation
-Gutiérrez would argue that the preferential option for the poor is not about charity but about justice. It’s a way of righting the wrongs of a society where the poor are often excluded or oppressed. The poor should not be seen as objects of charity, but as subjects of justice, deserving of equal dignity and rights
-By focusing on the poor, society can begin to address the root causes of inequality, rather than just alleviating symptoms.
P4 - ‘preferential option for the poor’ fair?
Marx:
-Believed that oppression was systematically rooted in our capitalist societies
-the proletariat becomes alienated and exploited by the bourgeoisies
-However he was against religion - he called it the ‘opiate of the people’ and believed that it stood in the way of revolution
- Religion tells the workers to accept their life of injustice and inequality, because then they will go to heaven when they die.
P5-‘preferential option for the poor’ fair?
-The Catholic Church teaches that all humans are made in the image of God (Imago Dei) and have inherent dignity.
-Poverty can strip people of basic dignity (e.g., access to food, shelter, education). Giving preference to the poor ensures their dignity is upheld, aligning with fairness and human rights.
-From a utilitarian viewpoint, prioritizing the poor leads to the greatest overall good. Alleviating poverty improves society as a whole by reducing suffering and increasing opportunities for all.
-For example, providing education and healthcare to the poor can result in a more productive, stable, and just society.
P1 - only God’s grace can overcome human sin
Augustine believed that the Fall has corrupted humans and that we are inherently inclined to sin. However, Pelagius believed that this put too little emphasis on the human capacity for self improvement.
His view suggests that humans are solely reliant on God. However God has given us all reason and free will, which can help us to overcome human sin on our own
P2 - only God’s grace can overcome human sin
Biologically false - there is too much genetic variation for the whole of humanity to have descended from two people. Additionally, there is an evolutionary explanation, which suggests we have evolved rather than being directly created
P3 - only God’s grace can overcome human sin
evil is not inherited it is taught:
Although it might appear that we have strong forces within us that incline us toward evil, Pelagius argues that could simply be because of the way we are raised and it only appears to be our nature because of how thoroughly corrupted we are by our upbringing, which Pelagius refers to as being “educated in evil”.
Additionally, there are historical factors which may have shaped Augustine’s beliefs, since humans have progressed since Augustine’s time. If Augustine were correct that original sin caused an irresistible temptation to sin, then human behaviour could not have morally improved, yet it has.
P4 - only God’s grace can overcome human sin
God’s omnibenevolence - Augustine believes that we are undeserving of God’s grace but it is due to his omnibenevolent nature that he grants us grace. However, this logic is flawed because arguably, if God was omnibenevolent, we would not have a corrupted will. Additionally, we have prisons and other rehabilitation programs which aim to get to the root cause of sinful behaviour
P5 - only God’s grace can overcome human sin.
if Augustine was right about original sin – then we are too cursed and corrupted to ever be or do good actions.
However – the Bible is full of Jesus & God’s commands –commanding us to do and be good.
It makes no sense for God to command us to be good if we were really unable to be good.
So, we must be able to be good – so, Augustine must be wrong in his claim that human nature is corrupted by original sin.
P1 - Christians must challenge secular views of gender roles
Focusing on mutual respect and equality, rather than rigid roles, allows Christianity to remain relevant and compassionate in modern contexts. It could alienate non-Christians.
-Female pastors in some churches
P2 - Christians must challenge secular views of gender roles
Society is increasingly secular and many people believe that the state and religion should be separated (secularism). decline. Need to adapt outdated views to keep up with modern society.
P3 - Christians must challenge secular views of gender roles
Galatians 3:28 ‘Their is neither jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’. Suggest that Christians should prioritise equality over rigid gender roles.
-imago dei
P4 - Christians must challenge secular views of gender roles
There are more important things that Christians should focus on such as their own spiritual growth and helping those in need. Christians should aim to dismantle oppressive structures, to align with the Christian principles of justice, love and respect. Jesus taught to help the marginalised, not to marginalise people.
P5 - Christians must challenge secular view of gender roles
The Bible is outdated and was written in a time in which the patriarchal societies may have been reflected. therefore many liberal Christians would argue that this should be interpreted
-Adam and eve fictional characters
-Mulieris dignitatem
